


The Legends of Sodor

by novarose122001



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Dumbo (1941), Play Safe - Fandom, TUGS (TV), The Railway Series - W. Awdry, Theodore Tugboat (TV), Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, Thomas the Tank Engine - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adopted Children, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Backstory, Canon Backstory, Car Accidents, Child Abandonment, Childhood, Childhood Memories, Crossover, Crying, Curiosity, Emotionally Repressed, Escape, Fanfiction, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Funny, Ghosts, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Humor, Kindness, Legends, Multiple Crossovers, Multiple Parents, Mystery, Original Character(s), Parent-Child Relationship, Past, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Pirates, Repressed Memories, Repression, Restoration, Robot, Steamworks, Story within a Story, Urban Legends, carving, friendly - Freeform, multiple characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2021-04-02
Packaged: 2021-04-19 02:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 146,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21862363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novarose122001/pseuds/novarose122001
Summary: There was a legend around an island where machines had their own personalities and living on an island where machines and humans lived in harmony.But, that legend never came true, and no one ever dared to find the island of Sodor.Until one day, someone came to the island unexpectedly.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	1. Arrival On Sodor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was an average Monday morning until something unexpected came...

This story takes place on an island full of magic and mystery.

The island may be far away from where the eye can see, and if you are lucky by chance, you might be able to reach it.

Some people think the island is a hoax and do not believe it could be real or filled with magic.

But some people believe that there is magic there on that island and claimed to have been there before.

The island in this story is called the Island of Sodor.

The island of Sodor is known to be filled with machines.

Those machines can either fly through the air, zoom across roads and the plains, or speed along the railroad tracks.

The island is not always full of machines on the island, however.

There are a reasonable number of people living on the island.

Everyone on the island of Sodor worked their hardest each day as the machines worked alongside them.

Locomotives puffed around the island to take people to their stations, deporting items to other machines to fix them when they had broken down, and delivering mail to people to read about their loved ones.

Other machines worked their hardest to make themselves useful, too, operating throughout the day.

But there was a twist about the machines working on Sodor with humans.

_ They are all alive and have minds of their own, with their own personalities and even faces too! _

A sudden, unexpected change occurred on the island one day as it started as usual on a sunny Monday morning.

An express locomotive was coming over to pick up a controller’s ‘special guest’ who came over to see how things were going on the railway.

As the express ship approached Brendam Docks before the express locomotive arrived, people disembarked the boat and waited for the locomotive to pick them up.

There was one person in the crowd who looked different from the others.

That person was the ‘special guest,’ who was expected to visit one of the controllers from one railway.

The ‘special guest’ wears a green dress and a green hat, with a gold band and a red flower on the side.

She also has fair skin, steel-blue eyes, and white hair in a bun from underneath her hat, slowly graying from age.

The ‘special guest’s’ name is Dowager Hatt, and she is the controller’s elderly mother.

Dowager Hatt came to Sodor to check on her son’s progress on the railway line and to find out if he needed any help or ideas from her to expand it.

There, she met the ‘unexpected change’ that had unboarded from one of the cargo ships with no one else noticing.

She was just about to walk over to the line of people waiting for the locomotive to come when she heard something fall over from her right side.

Confused, she glanced over to see what fell, thinking she had accidentally bumped into someone’s luggage, only to see a little girl inches away from where Dowager Hatt was standing.

She has lightly tanned almond skin color but looks pale, with long, messy hazelnut brown hair that possibly reaches down to her ankles.

The little girl even had dark circles underneath her eyes and looked too thin, almost showing some bones underneath the flesh.

She even wears a dirty, ragged long-sleeved dress over her body, which also reaches down to her ankles, and does not wear any shoes or socks.

It surprised Dowager Hatt to see this little girl lying on the ground, so she called out to anyone if the child belonged to anyone.

But no one answered her call.

She waited for a few minutes for someone to come over to pick the little girl up from the ground.

But no one came either.

So, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

Carefully, Dowager Hatt picked the little girl up from the ground, carrying her in a bridal carry in her arms as she had her bag in her left arm and patiently waited for the express to come.

When the express locomotive finally came, an enormous blue locomotive pulled it from in front.

The express locomotive is painted bright blue with a red and yellow lining.

The number four is painted on the sides of his tender in yellow with a red-lining.

The lining around his cab windows is the same yellow color.

For some odd reason, the locomotive also had a face but with no hair.

When the express locomotive noticed Dowager Hatt holding a little girl in her arms, a confused expression appeared on their face.

“Whose child is that?” the express locomotive asked curiously.

Dowager Hatt responded calmly to the express locomotive’s question about the little girl in her arms without panic, either in her expression or in her voice.

“I do not know, Gordon.”‌ Dowager Hatt responded as she glanced down at the girl in her arms. “But I will take care of her until she can answer us where she came from. Then, we’ll find her parents.”

Gordon, the name of the big express locomotive at the docks, nodded his body as if he was shaking his head.

He patiently waited for Dowager Hatt and the passengers to board his coaches.

Once everyone boarded his coaches and sat down on the chairs inside, he whistled his whistle and puffed away from the dockside.

Meanwhile, Dowager Hatt checked the little girl around for any wounds on her arms, neck, and ankles but thankfully found none of them.

But she did instead find small scars that covered some of her arms and body.

This left Dowager Hatt puzzled and concerned about the little girl’s parents, thinking they may have done this to her.

On the other hand, she was not too confident they might be the culprits of this.

The ride to Knapford station was long, but Dowager Hatt took the time to check over the little girl to see if someone had kidnapped her from home.

There were no signs of struggling on the girl’s body and no chains to keep her captive.

This relieved Dowager Hatt a little, but she was still worried about her.

Once Gordon reached Knapford station, the passengers stepped off the coaches, and Dowager Hatt met her son, who was waiting for her.

Dowager Hatt’s son is a short, stout gentleman with no hair underneath his black top hat, fair skin, and brown eye color.

He wears a black tailcoat, a white shirt, a cream waistcoat with small black buttons, a pair of gray pants, and a pair of black shoes.

When he noticed his mother holding a little girl wearing tattered clothes in her arms, he exclaimed, “Bless me, mother, where did you find her?”

“I do not know, Topham.” Dowager Hatt responded to her son’s question, still holding the little girl in her arms. “I found her lying on the ground at the docks with no parents around to help her. It seems like she was kidnapped from her home.”

A worried expression appeared on the controller’s face, named Topham, as the two workers standing behind him glanced at each other without moving.

They both are wearing uniforms that consist of blue trousers, a black tie, a white shirt with a blue overcoat, and a blue cap with a brass plate on the front.

The first man has blond hair with dark blue eye color, as the second has hazelnut brown hair and dark brown eye color.

“Shall I call the police?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders slightly as he mentioned over to his office.

“Let’s not be too hasty, Topham,” Dowager Hatt spoke carefully. “We first need to have some clues before getting into action.”

He nodded his head, and Dowager Hatt carried the little girl to the hospital after getting a ride from the bus.

It lasted for a while as the little girl was in the hospital until she woke up from being weak to the lack of liquids and food.

When she noticed she was in the hospital, Dowager Hatt appeared from outside, startling her slightly as she flinched.

Now that she had her eyes open, Dowager Hatt could see she had steel-blue eyes, as her skin color was slowly returning to normal.

“Good afternoon, dear.” Dowager Hatt greeted the little girl. “How are you feeling now?”

The little girl was quiet after Dowager Hatt asked, glancing away from her and rubbing her hands.

“A… bit better.” She stammered softly, gripping her hands together.

It looked like she was shaking a little as if she was reluctant.

But, on the other hand, she might be weak from the lack of liquids or food inside her.

Dowager Hatt paused for a moment after the little girl gripped her hands together before asking, “Do you remember anything while you were on the ship?”

She stayed silent for a moment before answering her question, “No, ma’am. I passed out after I had been on the docks.”

Dowager Hatt thought to herself for a moment before standing up from sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Wait for a moment here,” Dowager Hatt spoke. “I’ll go talk to the doctors for a moment.”

She nodded her head and got comfortable in the hospital bed as Dowager Hatt walked out of her room, gently closing the door behind her back.

The little girl glanced around curiously at where she was, noticing she was inside a sky-blue room.

But this room was not entirely sky blue.

There were some clouds painted on the walls and paper cranes hanging from the ceiling of the room.

Shelves filled with books were at the corner of the room, a door on the other side of the shelves as she guessed that belonged to the bathroom.

The window on her right-hand side was large and had a seat.

The cushions were a blue color, and the drapes were a velvet color.

She looked curious about the new room she was inside, wanting to get out of bed and look at everything, but she instead stayed inside, curling a little in her bed with her knees up to her collarbone.

Then, she heard a steam locomotive whistle from outside her window.

Curious, she gently pulled the blankets off her body after uncurling her body a little, noticing she was wearing a light blue hospital gown instead of the rags she was wearing earlier.

After pulling the blankets off, she stepped off her bed as carefully as she could without falling.

Her body was shaking from being tired out with the lack of vitamins inside her body.

Knowing that if she walks to the window to peek outside, she might fall over.

So she sat back down on the bed, thinking to herself of what she could use.

Then, she noticed her IV pole next to her with the tube connected to her arm, seeing it had wheels.

Using her right hand, she gently gripped the stand with the drip bag filled with water, using it as a cane for her to walk.

She tiptoed over to the window with curiosity after hearing the steam whistle of the steam locomotive.

Once she was up close to the window, she sat down on the seat comfortably, as she had the stand that had her drip bags by her side.

Just in case she wanted to stand back up to her feet again.

After getting comfortable on the window still’s couch, she glanced through it to see there was a steam locomotive outside.

To her surprise, she saw a steam locomotive for the first time, but the steam locomotive looked different from the ones she had seen in the pictures.

The steam locomotive is painted bright blue with a red-lining.

The number one is painted on the sides of the tanks in yellow with a red-lining.

The lining around the cab windows is the same yellow color.

But the most curious and frightening part that startled her a little was that the steam locomotive  _ had a face! _

The steam locomotive watched as the passengers climbed into his coaches, who were coupled behind him.

The coaches coupled behind the steam locomotive are painted orange-brown and look more feminine than the steam locomotive.

Unfortunately, that coach behind the locomotive had a face, too, except more of a feminine appearance.

She could only see one of them behind the locomotive, and the other was facing a different direction.

The steam locomotive glanced around for a moment before making eye contact with the little girl, who was peeking out from the window.

She gasped softly after watching him look over at her and ducked down from the first glance.

Outside the hospital, the steam locomotive looked confused after the little girl ducked before hearing the whistle from the guard, letting him know it was time to go.

“What is the matter, Thomas?” the first coach asked after the steam locomotive whistled his whistle in return.

“Did you see that little girl?” Thomas, the steam locomotive’s name, asked back, glancing over at the window for a second time before puffing away from the junction.

“What little girl?” the second coach asked, the tone of the voice a little higher than the first one.

The second coach glanced up at the window, seeing the little girl peeking out of the window before ducking again after noticing the second coach had a face too.

“Oh, now I see her!” the second coach spoke. “But who is she?”

“I do not know, Clarabel.” the first coach spoke. “She seemed to be new here.”

“Maybe someone else does?” Thomas curiously asked before exiting the station. “Her parents must’ve taken her there to heal up.”

“Could be,” nodded the first coach.

Meanwhile, with the little girl, she peeked again after ducking from the second coach.

To check if there were any more  _ live _ coaches or steam locomotives, she glanced side to side before standing up to her feet.

“Okay…” she muttered to herself as she glanced away from the window. “That is out of the ordinary…”

She glanced down at the inserted needle in her arm, wondering what was in that water the nurse gave her.

Then, the door opened again, causing her to look over her shoulder from the window.

Dowager Hatt entered the room again, noticing she was standing up to her knees and looking out of the window.

“Oh,” she exclaimed. “You are already moving! Quite quickly too…”

“F-Forgive me, ma’am.” She stammered, wringing her hands nervously as she sat there, turning her attention from the window to Dowager Hatt. “I heard a steam locomotive whistle from outside and went to look.”

Dowager Hatt looked confused for a moment before chuckling gently and said, “It’s fine, no need to apologize. I am guessing you heard Thomas’ whistle.”

“‘Thomas?’” She repeated in confusion as she slightly perked as she pointed to the window behind her. “Is that the steam locomotive’s name that I saw through the window?”

“Of course!” Dowager Hatt smiled. “Aren’t there any tank engines over where you lived?”

She paused after Dowager Hatt had asked her, answering as she shook her head and sighing, “No, ma’am. We only have electric locomotives back home. But, they don’t have faces like the ones here.”

Dowager Hatt looked confused as she raised an eyebrow.

“Where did you live?” Dowager Hatt asked.

The little girl went silent, rubbing her hands again nervously as she glanced away from Dowager Hatt’s gaze.

“I… used to live in Washington.” she slowly answered. “But… I have a difficult past to explain.”

Her eyes started welling up with tears, blinking a few times as she held her hands.

Dowager Hatt walked over to the little girl and knelt to her height, placing her bag down on the window sill’s bench next to her.

“What happened?” she asked, sounding concerned for her.

The little girl sniffed and responded, answering Dowager Hatt’s question, “My parents died in a car crash when I was only four years old.”

Dowager Hatt gasped softly before pausing for a moment, thinking to herself.

The little girl was silent as she thought to herself before Dowager Hatt asked, “Was that in 2013?”

The little girl nodded her head after Dowager Hatt asked, gently sniffing as she cried silently.

“I was in the orphanage after my parents had died and my baby sister disappeared. I can’t remember the rest of my family either,” she sniffed as she used the back of her hands to wipe her tears again, using the sleeves of her hospital gown. “And… this horrible man bought me from the orphanage since it was going bankrupt.”

Dowager Hatt gasped softly again as she continued speaking until the little girl stopped and sniffed again.

“He treated the other children and me like dirt,” she cried. “Until a friend of mine helped me escape and went on that boat, thinking it would take me back to where I used to belong,... but I instead came here by mistake.”

She stopped after she had finished her story, sniffing and trying to wipe the tears away from her eyes with her hands.

Dowager Hatt was silent after the young girl completed her story, piecing the puzzle pieces together as she continued crying silently to herself.

Then, she reached into the pocket of her coat and took out a white handkerchief.

The little girl sniffed as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands while Dowager Hatt held her hand out with a handkerchief for her tears.

“Do not fret,” Dowager Hatt spoke softly, assuring the little girl as a mother would. “We’ll find your other relatives that are still alive and save you from this ‘horrible man’ after giving the form to us after finding out who he is.”

She paused for a moment before nodding her head.

The little girl gently took the handkerchief from Dowager Hatt, sniffing a few times.

Dowager Hatt picked up her bag from the window sill’s bench, placing it on her arm as she waited patiently.

She wiped her tears away with the handkerchief, including blowing her nose.

Dowager Hatt paused for a moment, pondering for a moment, before standing up to her height.

“Wait right here,” she spoke before walking out of the room.

The little girl did as she was told, staying put as Dowager Hatt walked out of the room, closing the door behind her back.

Once Dowager Hatt was out of the room, she heard the same whistle again, jumping slightly.

Slowly, she turned around to look out the window, noticing it was the same steam locomotive from earlier.

She did not overhear what their conversation was since many people and noises were coming from all around her, so she could not make out what the coaches’ names were, except for the steam locomotive, whose name is ‘Thomas.’

He glanced up at the window and noticed the little girl as she flinched slightly but did not hide from him again.

Her curiosity seemed to grow more as she stared at him, noticing he was a driver and fireman inside his cab.

As she stared at him with curiosity, he suddenly mouthed the words to her since she could slightly hear his voice through the thickness of the glass, “Hello, there.”

That made her hide again from him, ducking from behind the window ledge.

On the other side of the window, Thomas looked confused after she had ducked, as the first coach behind him looked thoughtful as she was looking at the window too.

“Maybe you could meet her during the night?” the first coach suggested before hearing the conductor’s whistle after all the passengers were on board.

“But, he would get in trouble with Sir Topham Hatt.” Clarabel, the second coach’s name, spoke as Thomas puffed away from the station after whistling his whistle. “No tank engines are supposed to be out, instead of Percy and Henry, who takes out the Flying Kipper and the mail.”

Thomas paused for a moment as he continued through the line before smiling.

“Remember how Percy got the animals to trust him?” Thomas asked, glancing up at the coaches.

“Yes, we remember.” Clarabel nodded. “Why?”

“Maybe if I meet her again during the night without Sir Topham Hatt or anyone else notices,” Thomas continued. “I could befriend her!”

“But, on the other hand,” the first coach spoke. “Hospitalized people can’t be outside during the night.”

“Unless they open the window, Annie.” Thomas cheekily remarked.

They paused for a moment as they remembered seeing a latch between the two windows before sighing gently.

“Alright,” Annie, the name of the first coach, sighed. “If you insist, Thomas.”

Meanwhile, the little girl peeked again from behind the window ledge, looking slightly surprised and startled that Thomas had spoken to her!

But, on the other hand, she was not entirely positive if he did speak to her, only mouthed the words to her through the window.

There was no such thing as anthropomorphic steam locomotives back where she lived!

Deciding that it was enough of looking out the window, she shakily walked back over to the bed while holding Dowager Hatt’s handkerchief in her hand and laid down, sighing to herself, releasing the stand that had her drip bags.

A nurse entered the room instead of Dowager Hatt, and she sat up slightly as she placed the handkerchief right beside her on the counter table.

“Where’s the lady?” she asked.

The nurse glanced over at her with a slightly confused look on her face about the ‘lady’ before understanding.

“Oh, are you asking about Mrs. Hatt?” the nurse asked. “The woman that had found you on the docks?”

The little girl nodded her head in response, inching herself into bed to get herself comfortable.

“The visiting hours are already up.” the nurse sighed. “You need some rest since you are weak from the lack of vitamins you did not receive.”

She glanced away from her after she had mentioned her weakness, looking slightly sad but afraid of something.

The nurse looked concerned about her expression at first but went to carefully arrange the little girl’s blankets and gently put her to bed.

She closed the drapes of the window and clicked off the lamp next to her.

“What is your name?” the nurse asked before leaving the room.

“Stephanie,” the little girl answered. “Stephanie Nova Rose Allen is my name, ma’am.”

The nurse smiled gently and turned off the lights by clicking the switch.

“Have a nice rest, Stephanie.” the nurse smiled before closing the door behind her back and sealing Stephanie in silent darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	2. The Nighttime Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie could not sleep that night until a visitor came unexpectedly...

That night, Stephanie could not sleep as she lay silently in her bed, staring up at the ceiling of her hospital room.

Everything around her was peaceful and still, except the sounds of the clock on the wall that ticked continuously.

Sometimes, even if she was just a little tired, she would eventually go to sleep after getting comfortable in her hospital bed.

But since she is in a different country that was not on the map and in an unfamiliar room, she was hesitant to fall asleep comfortably.

Everything around her seemed different from how she used to be, from the ‘language’ people speaking, and how… strange they were.

She does not know why she could not sleep now that she is out of harm’s way for now.

But something inside her kept telling her she was not out of harm’s way yet, feeling like there could be something else wanting to attack her for no good reason.

She stared up at the ceiling, still thinking to herself about the unfamiliarity of her new surroundings.

Stephanie continued thinking about what would happen next until she heard the familiar sounds of a steam locomotive.

Instantly, she froze, feeling half scared and half curious about the steam locomotive she saw yesterday morning.

Her mind thought about the steam locomotive smiling at her with a beaming grin which made her shudder slightly with fear and feeling creeped out from the terrifying and uncomfortable grin until she thought of the words “Hello, there,” from the steam locomotive that spoke to her.

It seemed terrifying for Stephanie to hear those words from a steam locomotive that has a face to her in person.

But at the same time, it seemed comforting for her to hear them.

Nevertheless, she still does not know what could happen next if she trusts the live steam locomotive with naïve trust, making her anxiety grow more and more at the thoughts.

Stephanie only remembers the faces of Dowager Hatt and the nurse, who she is trusting slowly, but does not know if the steam locomotive is one of them.

But on the other hand, the steam locomotive seemed to be friendly by how he greeted her when she looked out the window again.

Taking a deep and silent breath, she sat up from her bed and gently pushed the blankets off her body, revealing her slim body covered with a blue hospital gown the nurses gave her for the night to recover.

She shifted her legs over the edge of the bed and placed her bare feet on the ground, hesitating for a moment, rethinking her decision.

Of course, she was anxious to meet a talking steam locomotive, but she was curious to meet him.

He did greet her through the window by mouthing the words, “Hello, there.”‌ to her.

The hair on the back of her neck prickled as her anxiety made her think of being kidnapped if she looked out the window.

Or worse, getting yelled at by a nurse working overnight if she produces too much noise.

Picking up Dowager Hatt’s handkerchief from the counter table beside the bed to use for steadying her nerves down, she picked herself up from the bedside.

This time, she was not shaking from the lack of strength.

Glancing down at her arm, she noticed she still had the needle inserted in her arm, so she took the stand in her hand as the other was holding Dowager Hatt’s handkerchief tightly.

Gradually, she walked over to the window, feeling more and more nervous about meeting the steam locomotive, but she took another deep and gentle breath and continued moving forward.

Once she was close to the window, she slowly opened the curtain from blocking the window slightly, peeking out a little from the thin crack between the two sheets.

It was pitch-black outside, but many lamps were glowing in the darkness, revealing the desolate streets and sidewalks without humans outside at this time of night.

But there, on the railway on the platform, was the  _ same _ steam locomotive.

The blue steam tank engine that she had seen in the morning.

He was waiting there at the station, glancing around in the darkness with his lamp off.

The driver and fireman were inside the cab, glancing around and mostly waiting patiently for something to happen.

Until his eyes moved up to the window where Stephanie was peeking out.

It caused her to gasp softly and move back in startlement, withdrawing the curtain over the crack.

She nervously bit the bottom of her lip about her decision until the sounds of a steam locomotive puffing forward went through the air before stopping directly where the window is.

The hair on Stephanie’s arms stuck up when she realized the steam engine that had a face was directly in the same spot as it was with its ordinary routine of transporting passengers.

“Psst! Psst!” a voice spoke. “Hey! Hey, you!”

The voice sounded muffled slightly through the glass of the window, almost like what she heard from yesterday.

Now that he is close to the window, Stephanie could hear his voice without the noises in the daylight.

She jolted a little from the sudden voice coming from him on the other side of the window, surprised to  _ hear _ him speak.

Half suggested that there be a microphone or something that would allow him to speak with the face.

But it proved he  _ was _ physically speaking.

Instantly, Stephanie softly whimpered to herself as she gritted her teeth, worried about being caught by either the nurses or the villagers around.

“Hey!”‌ the same voice spoke, sounding a little louder but still quiet. “Are you still awake?”

Stephanie continued staying where she was for a moment before gathering some courage and peeked out from the window again, looking down at the steam locomotive.

When she glanced down at the steam locomotive again, he was still there, patiently waiting for her to move the curtain back more.

Biting the bottom of her lip nervously again with her front teeth, Stephanie felt like she wanted to run away from the window and go back to sleep on the hospital bed to forget what she had witnessed.

Instead, she took another gentle and deep breath before fully opening the curtain, revealing herself to the steam locomotive on the other side.

After revealing herself to the steam locomotive, the steam locomotive smiled at her gently and said quietly, trying not to accidentally wake up the neighbors, “Can you open the window?”

Stephanie looked confused for a moment as she gently pushed the other side of the curtain, glancing around for what to unlock the window.

She noticed a latch between the windows that could unlock the window to talk to the steam locomotive.

Using her right hand as she released it from the pole of her drip bag and placing Dowager Hatt’s handkerchief down in front of her, she slowly and quietly unlocked the latch that kept her window closed as it clicked gently.

After the lock of the window clicked open, she slowly and carefully opened the window, feeling a gentle wave of semi-cold wind blow at her, causing her to shudder slightly.

Then, after the window had been opened, she peered her head out fully, looking down at the little steam locomotive as she picked Dowager Hatt’s handkerchief back up from the windowsill in front of her.

“Hello, there.” the steam locomotive spoke, smiling gently towards her.

He had said that same line to her again when Stephanie had first met him!

Stephanie first felt startled when the steam locomotive talked to her, but she kept still on her spot, smiling nervously with her lips before waving her free hand towards him.

This was a little weird on Stephanie’s half of her mind about talking to a supposed  _ non-alive  _ steam locomotive.

But on the other hand, it seemed familiar to her since she typically talked to people.

“What’s your name?”‌ The little steam locomotive softly asked. “My name is Thomas. Thomas the Tank Engine.”

A slight smile appeared on Stephanie’s face before hesitating for a moment.

She felt doubtful to introduce herself to a steam locomotive that had a face and could talk to her.

Thomas noticed her expression, looking confused for a moment before realizing something.

“Are you mute?”‌ He asked, sounding slightly confused.

Stephanie perked up a little after he had asked if she was mute, shaking her head no.

“Then why didn’t you tell me your name?” Thomas asked.

A slight blush appeared on her face, glancing away from him shyly as she gently drummed her fingers against the ledge of the window.

Thomas noticed her expression, chuckling to himself softly as she perked a little in confusion, mostly wondering if there was something on her body that sticks out the most.

“I think you’re a little shy, aren’t you?” he asked, smiling slightly.

Stephanie nodded her head, still not looking at him eye-to-eye and feeling downright stupid for hesitating for a long time without properly introducing herself.

Thomas giggled softly again before saying, “It’s okay. I sometimes‌ meet shy engines too. Edward, a friend of mine, was shy too when he first met me.”

Stephanie perked up a little more as she turned her attention back around to Thomas, feeling more comfortable as she listened to him talk.

It still feels a little strange for a steam locomotive to talk to her, but she soon started getting used to it since tonight was the first time she encountered one.

“Oh, I was wondering something,”‌ Thomas spoke as Stephanie leaned out a little to hear what he was asking for. “Could you ask Dowager Hatt if you could have a look around Sodor?‌ It could be a little easier for you to be more comfortable for you since this place is different from you.”

Stephanie was surprised when Thomas asked her if she could ask Dowager Hatt if she could have a look around Sodor to make her comfortable from missing her home.

But she wanted to feel comfortable to make others think she is an obedient child, so she nodded her head.

“That’s great!” Thomas beamed before starting to puff away from the station. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Stephanie smiled slightly nervously before sighing and moving back into her room, closing the windows before latching the lock back into place.

She felt a little confused about why Thomas acted friendly towards her but shrugged to herself mentally, assuming that all steam locomotives like him are company-loving on this island.

Stephanie was about to stand up from the seat but noticed that she was already tired from moving a little.

Instead, Stephanie laid back down on the window sill and got comfortable, being careful with the syringe inserted in her arm.

After getting comfortable, she pulled the blanket over her body and slowly fell asleep near the window, as the distant sounds of Thomas’ chuffing lullabies her back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	3. An Adventure Around Sodor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt decided to take Stephanie around Sodor to have a look around, but then there was trouble...

The next day, Dowager Hatt, along with Topham, arrived at the hospital to check on the little girl’s progress of regaining her strength back after being weak.

When they entered the hospital, Dowager Hatt asked one of the nurses about the little girl she had recently found.

“About Stephanie,” the nurse said, gently chuckling as she held a clipboard in her hands. “I have found her sleeping by the window sill’s bench as if she was looking out from it to look at the stars.”

“Moving that quick already?” Topham asked as the tone of his voice had confusion, as Dowager Hatt remembered when she checked her the second time to see her move. “Wouldn’t it take longer for her to restore her strength?”

“Actually,” the nurse spoke, clearing her throat a little. “It only took Stephanie about two days to restore her strength, instead of a week.”

Dowager Hatt and Topham glanced at each other after the nurse explained with surprised expressions on their faces before Dowager Hatt asked, “Oh, did you find her papers?”

“Yes, we did,” the nurse nodded before looking at the clipboard in her hands. “From the looks of the information, Stephanie’s line of family members goes back far.”

“How far?” Sir Topham Hatt asked, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

“About until either the seventeenth or fifteenth century.” the nurse responded. “But, unfortunately, none of her family relatives, including the ones that could be alive this year, are all deceased from an unknown cause that almost wiped out the entire family.”

Dowager Hatt’s expression fell to worry as Topham looked slightly surprised by the response the nurse gave before one of the doctors mumbled, “She is one of the last family members, hmm?”

“Yes, she is,” the nurse sighed. “But, she has a foster-father as far as we know of.”

That confused Dowager Hatt a little from the sudden foster-father, but shrugged it off her shoulders, thinking he wrote the papers and was going to pick her up.

Instead of being picked up by him, Stephanie was stolen from the orphanage and bought, which concerned Dowager Hatt more.

She did not express it, wanting to help Stephanie the best she could.

“Oh, good!” Dowager Hatt sighed in relief along with Topham. “Where could he be?”

“In America,” the nurse answered, flipping a page of the information bio, as it had a baby picture of Stephanie.

Dowager Hatt and Topham softly winced after the nurse answered, as Topham mumbled, “Oh, dear.”

“But not to worry,” the nurse smiled. “We’ll call the foster father’s phone number, and maybe he could come over here to pick Stephanie up in a few months or more.”

Dowager Hatt and Topham nodded their heads after the nurse explained, before Topham asked, “May we see Stephanie?”

“Of course,” the nurse nodded as she turned down the hallway as the two older adults followed from behind her.

“She is also ready to get out of the hospital since she healed this fast, too.” the nurse explained.

“That’s wonderful,” Dowager Hatt smiled. “She’ll stay with Topham until her foster-father comes.”

Topham jolted a little after Dowager Hatt smiled, looking surprised by what his mother stated.

“Me?!” Topham pointed at himself with his first finger. “Take care of a child?! Mother,” he followed up to Dowager Hatt’s side after stopping for a moment. “I can take care of Stephen and Bridget when they come over to visit, but with Stephanie staying at my mansion? I don’t think I could take care of her since I work.”

“You took special care of that wild animal once when you were a child, Topham,” Dowager Hatt gently protested. “Even though I specifically told you, ‘No wild animals in the house.’”

Blushing with embarrassment, Topham softly groaned as the nurse chuckled lightly, “Mother…”

They soon reached Stephanie’s room, and the nurse opened the door, revealing Stephanie sitting on the bed, wearing her hospital gown.

The blankets were neatly folded, and the pillows on the window sill’s bench were arranged perfectly and lined up.

The hanger for her drip bags is missing, and the needle in her arm was out too.

“Oh, hello, ma’am,” Stephanie greeted after glancing over her shoulder.

She froze a little when she noticed Topham from behind Dowager Hatt, confusing him a little.

“Stephanie,” Dowager Hatt spoke, placing her hand on Topham’s shoulders and moving him forward. “This is my son, Stephen Topham Hatt.”

“But I prefer to be called Sir Topham Hatt,” Sir Topham Hatt said, taking off his top hat at Stephanie and then placing it back on his head. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Stephanie stood up from the couch and stayed put on the spot she was at.

“Y-You too, Sir,” Stephanie stammered, reaching up to her hair and started fumbling it, looking nervous as she stood in front of Sir Topham Hatt.

Some strands of hair came off from her long hair and got entangled into her fingers as she moved it away and looked at it, sighing softly.

Sir Topham Hatt looked thoughtful as he watched her pick the remaining hair strands off her fingers that were entangled before asking, “Would you like to go to a barber to get yourself a trim?”

Stephanie glanced over at her after Sir Topham Hatt asked, finishing getting the hairs off her fingers, “Excuse me, Sir?”

“Your hair,” he mentioned to her long hair from behind her. “It’s greasy and too long for you. Maybe if we could go to a barber first, we could get that tangled mess back to normal.”

Stephanie looked thoughtful as she glanced down at her hair, grimacing a little at how dirty it was along with how tangled it was too.

“I would like that, please,” Stephanie nodded, glancing back over at him. “I do smell a little funny.”

“Maybe not getting a bath, too?” Sir Topham Hatt suggested, shrugging slightly.

Stephanie nodded her head as she blushed, feeling ashamed of her appearance in front of him.

Soon, the nurse came back into the room with a fresh pair of clothes in her arms.

She closed the door behind her back with her hip before walking over to Stephanie.

The nurse then said, looking sheepish as she blushed, “Sorry. I couldn’t find any shoes for you. I didn’t know your feet size.”

“It’s alright,” Stephanie assured her as she took the clothes from her. “I can survive without shoes or socks.”

The nurse looked confused after Stephanie assured her before allowing Stephanie to have the clothes she picked for her.

“Uh, we should step out and give her privacy.” the nurse chuckled lightly before gently shooing the two adults outside with her.

Stephanie paused a little before she could untie the hospital gown from the sides, glancing over at the door as it closed tight.

But, as soon as the door was closed, she walked over to the window and closed the shades a little, sealing out the light from the other side.

Outside the hospital, Thomas was waiting for his passengers to board his coaches.

He glanced over at the window where the little girl he talked to earlier in the night, noticing that the curtains were shut more.

“Did you two have a nice quiet conversation?” Annie asked Thomas from behind.

“Well, it was super quiet, actually,” Thomas spoke.

“Why on earth?” Clarabel asked with confusion. “Were people already outside?”

“No,” Thomas answered, glancing away from the hospital window. “I think she’s mute.”

“‘Mute?’” they both repeated.

“Yes, mute,” Thomas nodded. “But, she can hear and see me perfectly.”

The coaches sighed with gentle relief before Annie asked, “But, how would you talk to her? You barely understand sign language.”

“You’re right,” Thomas nodded before hearing the conductor’s whistle. “Maybe asking her when I get the chance would be nice.”

The coaches nodded in agreement as Thomas whistled his whistle, puffing off to take the passengers to their stations.

Inside the hospital room, Stephanie finished getting into her new clothes and struggled a little to get her hair through the back of her shirt’s collar.

The clothes the nurse brought to her were a long-sleeved dark blue shirt with black tights.

After the last of her hair was finally out of her shirt, Stephanie walked over to the door and gently knocked on it, saying, “I’m dressed, may I come out?”

“Of course,” responded Sir Topham Hatt. “You’re welcome to step out.”

Stephanie smiled slightly and opened the door, revealing herself to the two adults.

“Wonderful,” Dowager Hatt smiled before noticing her long hair. “Er, we have to do something about your hair.”

“Mother,” Sir Topham Hatt said as Dowager Hatt turned her attention to him. “Stephanie and I talked about that earlier.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Topham,” Dowager Hatt apologized before turning her attention back to Stephanie. “Come with us, Stephanie. We’ll take you to a barber.”

Stephanie nodded and followed them, holding Dowager Hatt’s handkerchief in her hand.

Halfway through the hallway, Stephanie tripped on her hair and yelped before being caught by one of Sir Topham Hatt’s guards before hitting the ground from underneath her armpits.

“What happened?” Dowager Hatt turned around with Sir Topham Hatt after hearing Stephanie’s yelp.

“She tripped over her hair, Sir,” the guard responded, picking her up and holding her in his arms. “Would it be best if one of us hold her in case if she does not trip over it again?”

Sir Topham Hatt nodded his head in agreement before saying, “Just be careful with him, Jason.”

Jason, the name of Sir Topham Hatt’s guard, nodded his head and moved Stephanie into a correct position before following Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt with his friend by his side.

They soon came over to Sir Topham Hatt’s car, and Stephanie stiffened a little as she hunched her shoulders a little.

Dowager Hatt stopped before entering the car, noticing Stephanie’s stiffened body and a slightly fearful expression on her face.

“What on earth is the matter with her?” Jason asked. “She’s stiff as a rock!”

“Er, let me talk to her,” Dowager Hatt answered after placing her bag into the car.

Jason nodded and handed Stephanie over to Dowager Hatt.

When Stephanie was handed over to Dowager Hatt, she could feel Stephanie shaking from head to toe, struggling to keep it to a minimum.

“Are you afraid?” Stephanie flinched slightly after Dowager Hatt asked, responding as she stammered, “I-I’m… Yes, I am afraid.”

She sighed with defeat as she pushed back into a messy and greasy strand of brown hair from her face.

“I’m sorry for being afraid.” Stephanie apologized.

“Do not fret,” Dowager Hatt assured. “If you want, you could have one of the guards in the backseat with you.”

Stephanie perked a little from Dowager Hatt’s words, glancing over at her with slight confusion on her face.

“Are you sure?” Stephanie asked.

“Of course,” Dowager Hatt nodded before glancing over at Jason. “Just let me ask him.”

Stephanie nodded her head as Dowager Hatt placed Stephanie in the car in the backseat as Stephanie got comfortable as she gently closed the door, gripping her hands together in fear.

“What on earth is the matter?” Sir Topham Hatt asked, glancing over at her. “Have you-?”

He paused while Jason sat next to her before Stephanie moved closer to him.

The second guard sat next to her on the other side, gently sandwiching her in the middle.

“Mother,” Dowager Hatt sat next to Sir Topham Hatt in the driver’s side as he looked confused. “What is going on?”

“I’ll explain after getting to the barber, alright?” Dowager Hatt spoke, glancing over at Sir Topham Hatt.

“Yes, mother,” Sir Topham Hatt nodded before starting the car.

Stephanie flinched after he had started the car, and Jason glanced over at her, noticing that she was shaking more.

She clenched her hands into balls in front of her as they were turning white from the strength.

“Oi, Branden,” Jason spoke, catching his friend’s attention. “She’s shaking like a leaf.”

“She is?” Branden used the back of his hand to feel her cheek, noticing she was trembling terribly. “Blimey, she is.”

Stephanie continued shaking through the entire car ride but held onto Jason’s hand during the time since she was hurting her own hands from her fear.

Jason and Branden were confused about her fears as Sir Topham Hatt’s concern for her grew inside her.

As soon as they reached the barber’s shop, Dowager Hatt signed her up for her appointment, and Stephanie sat down to wait for her turn.

Taking this time, Dowager Hatt explained to Sir Topham Hatt and his guards why Stephanie was acting strangely during the car ride.

She even explained to them what had happened to her family too.

Meanwhile, the barber came up to Stephanie and said, “May you come with me, young lady?”

She nodded and stood up before tripping a little on her hair and stumbling a little, but luckily had her balance and did not fall over.

“Oh, dear.” He walked behind her, and being as careful as he could, he lifted Stephanie from the ground from underneath her armpits. “Is this okay?”

“Yes,” Stephanie nodded her head. “Thank you, sir.”

He smiled softly and walked over to one of the empty barber chairs and placed her down in it.

The barber then walked behind Stephanie, staring at her long, messy, and greasy hair Stephanie had.

He used a hand to gently brush one of the strands to check how bad it was, only to notice the tangles.

“Let me cut it first, so it’ll be easier for me to wash it, okay?” he asked.

Stephanie nodded her head gently, and the barber placed a black trimming bib around her neck, just in case her hair got onto her body.

The barber then picked up a pair of scissors from the counter in front of Stephanie, glancing over at her as she stayed where she was.

“What length would you like?” the barber politely asked.

“The middle of my back, please,” Stephanie answered calmly, her nervousness dying down a little, although feeling a little anxious.

The barber nodded his head and went to work, spraying water on her hair and snipping her thick hair to the exact length.

Stephanie stood perfectly still during the time, almost as if she had fallen asleep with her eyes open.

But she was only waiting patiently for the barber to finish cutting her hair to the exact length she wanted it to.

She wondered how Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt would react to seeing her with her hair down the length she wanted it to be.

As soon as the hair was at what she wanted to be, the barber then took Stephanie over to another chair, where he washed her hair from the grease it was in.

The tangles were untangled, and the smell from her died down a little but still lingers from her body.

Once Stephanie’s haircut was finished and dried, the barber took off the large black bib from around her neck, and Stephanie turned towards the barber, asking, “Excuse me, may I ask a question?”

“Of course,” the barber nodded, kneeling a little to her height. “What is it?”

“Uh, my hair,” Stephanie pointed to the pile of greasy hair. “After washing it, may you donate it to hairless people?”

The barber looked surprised by the polite suggestion from Stephanie as she felt worried.

Did she insult someone or suggested something wrong?

Before she could suggest something else, the barber gently smiled and nodded his head.

“Of course,” he smiled. “That is a wise and generous thing for you to do.”

Stephanie blushed from the compliment the barber told her, glancing away from him as she rubbed her left arm with her right hand.

Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt, along with the guards, entered inside, noticing Stephanie and her long, messy hair had been cut to the middle of her back and untangled, including washed too.

“This young child is a wonderful customer!” the barber smiled as Stephanie’s blush deepened from the compliment.

She felt like she was in the center of attention in front of the two and was embarrassed.

“She has pleasant manners and patience.” the barber continued. “She even donated her hair! Who’s the father or mother of the child?”

Stephanie’s blush faded away a little after he asked as the adults glanced at each other.

The barber looked confused from the silence of the people.

“Is there something I said?” he asked, sounding a little worried.

“No,” Sir Topham Hatt assured him. “Stephanie has a foster-father, but he’s in America.”

The barber nodded his head as Stephanie glanced away, looking slightly sad and nervous.

“Ah, I understand,” he nodded as Stephanie walked over to the adults as Jason picked her up again from underneath her armpits. “Come again if you want your hair trimmed or cut.”

“We will.” Sir Topham Hatt and the others exited out of the barber’s shop and entered Sir Topham Hatt’s car, as Stephanie sat in the backseat with the guards side-by-side with her.

“Where to now, mother?” Sir Topham Hatt asked.

“To the stores,” Dowager Hatt answered. “She doesn’t need to continue wearing those clothes all the time or wearing no shoes or socks.”

Stephanie blushed slightly again as she moved her legs up a little, feeling embarrassed to be barefoot.

The guards understood she was embarrassed to be barefoot, so Jason reassuringly placed his hand on her shoulder.

Once they had reached the store, Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt allowed her to buy clothes for her to wear instead of borrowing.

Stephanie picked out a long-sleeved, light blue shirt with a pair of blue jeans along with a moss-green belt to hold it up.

She even picked out a pair of pink shoes with light blue shoelaces in her size.

But before leaving the store, Stephanie asked for a cameo blue sweater, which they had in store, along with a pair of rectangular dark blue and black glasses since she could not read well.

They even got some jackets for different weather and other items of clothes, too.

Stephanie felt happy that she had picked out the items she wanted to wear, along with the shoes.

They walked out of the store after buying them, and Stephanie was feeling excited about wearing them.

But, at the same time, she felt a little ashamed of herself for using too much money.

She felt like she was being a nuisance to them, repeatedly asking them after seeing an item on the stock.

So she decided to be careful the next time she goes shopping.

When they went back over to Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion, Stephanie stiffened a little as she was being carried inside but forced herself to calm down, even though she was afraid.

The door opened, and a gentleman appeared from inside the mansion.

He has short brown hair and light blue eye color and has a thin appearance but looks young.

“Good afternoon, Master Topham,” he greeted before noticing Jason was carrying Stephanie. “I suppose this is the young girl Mistress Dowager was talking about?”

“Yes, Reginald, she is,” Dowager Hatt nodded as she handed him her bag as he bowed slightly to her.

Stephanie smiled softly, trying to cover her skittish feelings from inside her.

She did not want to enter inside a mansion since the last one she had been inside terrified her.

But Stephanie did not want to make the people angry and disappointed in her, so she kept it to herself.

“Please lead Jason to her room to stay for the months,” Dowager Hatt explained. “And take her to the bathroom to be washed too.”

“As you wish,” Reginald nodded as he placed her bag down before turning his attention to Jason while holding Stephanie in his arms. “Please follow me.”

Jason nodded and followed Reginald, walking through the mansion.

Stephanie was slowly relaxing as she glanced around curiously, noticing the inside of the mansion was much different from the one she used to live inside before.

Her hair on her arms prickled slightly from the memories of the mansion she used to live inside, shaking in fear again.

Jason looked slightly confused by the shaking coming from Stephanie as he followed Reginald through the mansion.

He wonders why she was so afraid of being in someone else’s home?

Stephanie nervously glanced around the surroundings as she rubbed her left arm.

There was a faint, feared look in her eyes as if she had witnessed being in a rich man’s mansion.

Soon, Reginald reached a room and opened the door for Jason to step inside since his hands were full while carrying Stephanie.

“Thank you,” Jason thanked Reginald as he entered the room.

Reginald bowed slightly in return for Stephanie’s gratification, stepping inside to place the bags down on the ground.

“After Stephanie gets washed and dressed,” Reginald spoke. “Let me know if there is something wrong, okay?”

The two guards nodded their heads after Reginald asked as he stepped out and gently closed the door behind their backs.

After the door was closed, Stephanie shakily sighed in relief to herself, placing a hand against her chest, feeling like her heart would explode any minute.

Her anxiety was kicking in again, and she felt like she wanted to escape the minute nighttime came.

She did not want to go through the same thing again she had been through before.

The guards glanced over at Stephanie, blushing slightly to themselves and whispering something to each other. 

Meanwhile, Stephanie decided to look around in the room she recently placed inside, for now, thinking she would be tricked if nighttime came.

The room was much different from the hospital room she was inside two days ago.

It was bigger than the room she was inside before and had two or three windows inside, as the window revealed that there were locomotive tracks in the background, almost like the window sill bench she used to look through.

Luckily, there was a window sill bench at the far back window, and the cushions were more spacious and soft, too.

If she wanted, Stephanie could sleep on the bench during nighttime and stare out the window at the stars.

Some clothes dressers for her were not filled with anything inside.

A desk was next to it, with a mirror on the left-hand side of the room.

She was standing before a massive bed, which was much fluffier than the hospital bed she was on after arriving at Sodor.

At first, Stephanie felt like she did not deserve this since she had just arrived at Sodor and escaped from a ‘horrible man.’

But she quietly assured herself this was just how Sir Topham Hatt would give guests when they came over to visit or stay over.

Absentmindedly, she reached up to her chest with her right hand and felt something underneath her sweater and shirt, looking slightly sad a little.

“Uh, Stephanie?” Stephanie perked her head up after hearing Jason speak, glancing up at him. “We will ask one of the maids if they would like to help you wash your body. Is that okay with you?”

Stephanie’s heart skipped a beat after he had mentioned that, but she kept it to herself and said, “I’m fine with that.”

They both nodded and exited out of the room, closing the door behind her.

After they had left, Stephanie was left to think to herself, still feeling worried and afraid of what will happen next if she disobeys their orders.

She shuddered softly to herself at the thought of being stuck in the basement for a long time, closing her eyes and holding her hands together to keep herself together.

A knock on the door somehow snapped Stephanie out of her thoughts, perking up and glancing over at the door.

“Excuse me?” a voice asked from behind the door. “Are you Stephanie Allen?”

Stephanie froze for a moment after hearing the question from the female voice behind the door before answering, “Y-Yes, that is my name.”

A sigh came from the other side of the door, and the voice asked again, “May I come inside? Jason and Branden told me you needed some help washing your body.”

Stephanie paused a little after she asked before answering, “Yes, you may come in.”

After Stephanie responded to her question, the door opened and revealed her to be a maid, which made the hairs on Stephanie’s arm stick up in fear.

She has long, beautiful dark brown hair, as it was up in a high ponytail by a white bow, but has some strands of hair from over her ears.

The maid also has fair skin and beautiful light blue eye color, and short nails.

She even wears a long black dress with a white apron on the front, as she has it tied around her waist in a bow fashion like her hair.

Around her neck, she also wears lace tied in a bow too.

She did not look like the previous maid Stephanie painfully met a long time ago.

But Stephanie did not calm down after noticing her, still scared of her as she stood there.

“Hello, miss,” she greeted Stephanie warmly. “My name is Alice, and I’ll help you wash your body.”

Stephanie paused for a moment after she had greeted herself to Stephanie before shakily sighing to herself softly, responding, “Th-Thank you, Alice. Can you g-guide me to the bathroom?”

She nodded her head and held her hand out as Stephanie shakily took it into hers, following her as she walked behind her.

Alice felt confused when she felt her shaking, glancing over at her slightly from her shoulder, looking at Stephanie.

“Is there something the matter?” she softly asked. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”

“J-Just a little nervous,” Stephanie smiled nervously, lying slightly to the maid. “I’ve never been in-inside a mansion before.”

Alice smiled reassuringly and moved Stephanie in front of her, placing her other hand on hers.

“There’s no reason to be nervous,” Alice softly assured, confusing Stephanie. “As long as you have someone by your side, you can learn more than what you see.”

Stephanie’s eyes lit up slightly after Alice assured her, before nodding her head and thanked, “Thank you, Alice.”

Alice softly smiled after Stephanie understood her feelings before gently taking her hand and leading her to the bathroom.

“Let’s take you to your bath, little one.” Alice smiled before continuing to lead Stephanie through the mansion.

Once they had reached the bathroom, Stephanie felt nervous at first but relaxed as they entered, and Alice closed the door behind her back.

The bath lasted for a few minutes until the door opened again, revealing Alice carrying Stephanie in her arms, with a long towel wrapped around her, as another one was wrapped around her head to dry her hair.

Stephanie was relaxing in Alice’s arms as she walked through the mansion to her room, her eyes closed as she felt a little safer with her.

When Alice entered her room again, she was placed down on the ground, and Stephanie still had the towel wrapped around her body to keep the warmth to herself.

“I’ll go downstairs to let Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt know you are clean,” Alice smiled.

Stephanie nodded her head once and said, smiling softly, “Thank you, Ms. Alice.”

Alice blushed from the gratitude Stephanie said to her and smiled softly before hugging her.

Stephanie felt confused when Alice hugged her, almost dropping the towel around her as she stood there, not knowing what to do next.

Instead, she accepted the hug and hugged Alice back, a little too much around her neck.

“Er, Ms. Allen?” Alice softly asked. “Can I have my neck back? I need to tell Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt.”

Remembering, Stephanie chuckled sheepishly softly and released her neck, wrapping the towel around her body again, and said, “Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine,” Alice assured her as she stood back up to her height. “There is no need to apologize, though.”

Stephanie paused after Alice told her, watching her exit out of the room, closing the door behind her back, and letting Stephanie have privacy to change into her extra clothes.

After Alice exited the room, Stephanie glanced away from the door for a moment, thinking to herself.

Her fingers rubbed something on her body from underneath the towel wrapped around her.

She continued thinking to herself for a moment before sighing softly and turning around, getting ready to change into her extra clothes.

Meanwhile, in Knapford, Thomas could not help himself but continue talking endlessly about the new person he had met from the hospital.

He was excited to see her again, wondering if Dowager Hatt or Sir Topham Hatt would show her to him in person.

Err, maybe in engine?

Thomas lightly shrugged to himself about the thought of encountering her, as Annie and Clarabel behind him said, simultaneously, “Calm down, Thomas. You’ll see her, eventually.”

Chuckling softly, Thomas heard the conductor’s whistle and whistled back before puffing off to continue with his work on his branch line.

Back at the Hatt Mansion, Stephanie had finished getting dressed in the clothes she had picked, pushing back some strands of freshly washed and dried hair from her face.

She was still anxious inside the mansion, but she was slowly easing up as she continued looking around. 

But Stephanie still had her guard up if the hospitality changed or had signs of  _ what she had encountered _ .

Stephanie placed something around her neck after putting her shirt on before taking her oversized cameo blue sweater out of her bag and looking at it in her hands.

It was the hugest sweater she had seen before, but Stephanie loved it already, hugging it with her hands as she softly smiled.

“Stephanie!” Dowager Hatt’s voice called to her from the main entrance, snapping her back to reality as her expression changed, moving her hand down from her chest. “It’s almost time to go!”

Stephanie hesitated for a moment before calling Dowager Hatt, “Okay!” and glanced around at her new room for a second time.

She then placed her sweater on her body, zipping it up and exiting her room.

After exiting her room, Stephanie went downstairs, meeting up with Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt, who were at the door.

“Come now, Stephanie.” Dowager Hatt smiled. “We are going to show you around Sodor for you to be familiar with it.”

Stephanie was about to ask Dowager Hatt why she wanted to show her around Sodor but remembered something.

So, she stopped herself and only nodded her head, going along with the ride quietly.

Sir Topham Hatt’s guards were with him to the stores and were sitting side-by-side with Stephanie, making her feel a little more comfortable during the ride.

She was still shaking like a leaf, but holding one of the guards’ hands made her calm down slightly.

Somehow, Dowager Hatt noticed she was holding her tongue before she could ask a question after they got into Sir Topham Hatt’s car with him at the wheel.

“You may ask questions, Stephanie.” Dowager Hatt assured. “We won’t judge you for that, though.”

Stephanie was a little surprised by the assurance from Dowager Hatt but smiled slightly.

“Th-Thank you, ma’am.” Stephanie softly thanked, stammering a little in her words.

Even though Dowager Hatt was kind enough to take her to the hospital to heal herself from the lack of vitamins in her body, she did not fully trust her or Sir Topham Hatt.

Dowager Hatt nodded her head in response to Stephanie’s grant and turned back around to Sir Topham Hatt, allowing Stephanie to take this chance to think to herself about the kindness they have.

The first place they stopped at was the docks where Stephanie first appeared and where Dowager Hatt could introduce her to Gordon properly at Knapford station.

Despite the time she met Thomas last night, she was not too confident in herself to encounter another anthropomorphic steam engine.

It gives her the creeps about the appearance but calms herself down by assuring herself they are like Thomas.

But with different personalities, facial changes, and basis. 

There, Sir Topham Hatt allowed his driver to take his car back to the mansion since he was the owner, showing Stephanie around along with Dowager Hatt.

They patiently waited for the express locomotive to appear along with the crowd of people, as Stephanie was nervously fussing with her fingers, still worried about what the other anthropomorphic locomotives like Thomas, who she saw last night, think of her on Sodor.

But her mind wandered off when she noticed there were two engines on the docks, pushing flatbeds around with their buffers, not paying any attention to the crowd of people.

The first engine was a dockyard diesel shunting engine painted crimson with scarlet warning stripes along its body, yellow and black hazard stripes on its front and rear, and yellow buffer beams with some rust.

At the top of his forehead, he has the brim of a skipper’s hat.

The name ‘Salty’ is painted on his rear section, in black, along with the number two thousand nine hundred ninety-one on his cab sides.

The second dockyard engine was steam-powered and was painted in viridian with yellow stripes and lining, brass fittings, and gold nameplates in black lettering with the name ‘Porter.’

He has a gold star on each side of his lamp and red window frames.

Stephanie was curious about who they were, wanting to go over to them and greet them, but she instead forced the thought out of her mind and stayed by Dowager Hatt’s side.

After waiting for a minute on the docks while watching the cranes picking and dropping crates off onto other locomotives, whistling their whistles, and moving off to deliver them, the express locomotive finally came.

Stephanie was amazed to see the express locomotive appear to pick up the passengers before feeling excited to board it until a feeling was inside her heart that made her remember something tragic.

Instead of showing it publicly and refusing to get on the coaches, Stephanie repressed her memory deep into her mind, forcing herself to board the express locomotive without holding Dowager Hatt’s hand.

Just after Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt had boarded the coaches, Stephanie was just about to get onto the coaches from behind them until she felt a hand roughly push her away from the coaches with one sweep.

That push caused her to be flung backwards from the coaches and landed bottom first on the concrete ground.

She scraped her hands against the concrete when she was flung backwards from that sudden push against her chest.

It did not hurt her as she looked confused and startled from the sudden push from one of the passengers, but her palms were numb, with no feeling of pain on her hands.

Bits of blood dripped from her palms, but she paid no attention to it as the doors closed in front of her.

She tried scrambling up to her feet to catch up to the express locomotive before it left, but it was too late as she finally reached up to her feet.

The express locomotive had already left and left her on the docks all by herself!

Stephanie quickly stood up to her feet and glanced around at her surroundings, whining a little to herself in worry.

No one else on the docks noticed she was left behind by a rude passenger who had pushed her.

Soon, she felt some stinging sensation against the palms of her hands and glanced down, noticing she had scraped them against the concrete after she was pushed.

They were bleeding a little, but it was not too much to make it painful or bleed out too much.

She closed her hands after she had looked at them and continued glancing around with a slightly worried expression on her face.

Stephanie waited for anyone to notice her or ask her what she was doing on the docks.

Soon, she started crying to herself, feeling scared and alone again.

She curled herself slightly, feeling scared and nervous about what would happen next.

Somehow, her crying attracted someone from their work, glancing around for the source before glancing down at the ground.

And that figure was not a human being, but a crane that was picking up and dropping off the crates!

The crane is painted in an olive color with black and brown pulleys among its mechanisms.

He also has two nameplates on his sides that display his name ‘Cranky’ in yellow lettering.

He watched Stephanie cry for a little while before nervously biting the bottom of his lip.

The crane glanced around for any adults besides the workers.

But no adults were waiting for the express locomotive to come again.

The engines that were working on the docks were being too noisy to notice she was even there.

So, he glanced over to the second crane beside him after dropping a crate off onto one of the steam engines that were there for a package.

The other crane on the other side of him is painted bright yellow and has dark blue railings and stairs.

Her name ‘Carly’ is written in dark blue on each side of her cab. 

She also has a dark blue section above her face and has black hazard stripes on her superstructure and base.

“Hey, Carly?” the crane spoke, getting her attention as she glanced over at him. “Take a look down there.”

Carly, the yellow crane’s name, glanced down at the ground and noticed the little girl crying near where she was.

A worried and surprised expression appeared on her face as she glanced back over at the olive crane.

“What is she doin’ here?”‌ Carly asked. “And where are her parents?”

Her accent in her voice had British slang in it, but she speaks English very well.

“I don’t know.” the olive crane responded, grumbling a little before turning to one of the ships behind him. “Ask Big Mickey.”

So, she moved her body to the other side, heading over to the third and last crane.

The crane is painted in a warm gray, and there were no names decorated on his body.

“Hey, Big Mickey,” Carly spoke, getting his attention as he glanced over at Carly, responding with a “Hmm?” 

“Look down at the ground.” She nodded her head down towards Stephanie gently, with a slightly worried expression on her face.

Big Mickey, the gray crane’s name, raised an eyebrow after Carly mentioned before glancing down at what she was referring to.

He had a confused expression on his face as he looked at what Carly was looking at.

He noticed the crying little girl sitting there, holding her hands against her chest and sobbing.

A worried expression appeared on his face that replaced his confusion before glancing over at Carly and the olive crane.

“Where did she come from?” he softly asked as Carly moved back over to the olive crane.

“I don’t know!” the olive crane snapped before slightly groaning as he glanced back over at the crying little girl.

Carly nervously bit her lip in thought as the little girl continued crying before she got an idea.

Carefully, she moved her hook down behind the crying little girl as she slowly stopped sobbing, using the back of her hands with the sleeves of her oversized sweater to wipe her tears away, even underneath the pair of glasses she was wearing.

Using her talents, she gently scooped the little girl up from the ground and lifted her into the air as she looked slightly surprised.

“What are you doing, Carly?” the olive crane asked. “You can’t load people on ships with your hook, remember?”

“I’m not gonna load her on a ship, Cranky,” Carly smiled, lifting her to her face as her hook turned the little girl around automatically. “I’m just goin’ to calm her down from her cryin’.”

“But how?” Big Mickey asked, sounding more worried. “You’re bigger than her! You might accidentally hurt her or drop her in the ocean!”

Stephanie listened to the conversation between the two cranes, calming down a little as her arms were wrapped around Carly’s hook.

She did not know that her semi-blood-covered hands were staining Carly’s hook slightly.

“True,”‌ Carly nodded. “But, I‌ might as well try.”

“But hey,” Big Mickey spoke, sighing with a slight relief tone in his voice. “At least you calmed her down from her crying.”

“About time, too!” snapped Cranky, the name of the olive crane.

Stephanie flinched slightly, tightening her arms around Carly’s hook slightly.

“Careful, Cranky!” Carly spoke, scolding Cranky a little. “You might make her cry again.”

“I know, I know,” Cranky grumbled. “But what are you going to do with her now? Ships might be coming at any minute, and it could cause confusion and delay while you are holding her in your hook!”

Carly sighed and glanced around, wondering when another locomotive was going to come at any moment.

On the other hand, Stephanie felt sad about being unable to board the coaches, still crying slightly.

She felt ashamed she was causing more trouble for the cranes to handle, wanting to go back to Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt instead of the crane.

Carly noticed she was still crying, feeling worried about her.

“Aw, cheer up!” she beamed, lifting her up a little to her eyesight. “Is there somethin’ I could do?”

Stephanie said nothing to her but glanced away, looking shy and scared in front of Carly.

Since an anthropomorphic crane picked her up from the ground, she felt a little uncomfortable around her.

But she repressed her feelings about being around her, trying to be polite to her.

Cranky glanced around for any locomotives coming for the second time, still noticing none of them had arrived.

“I don’t see any tank engines coming here yet,”‌ Cranky mumbled to himself, but enough for Carly and Big Mickey to hear. “So, what are we going to do with her?”

Carly thought to herself for a moment before smiling softly when an idea came to her.

Using her hook, she gently moved her back down towards the ground but only stopped halfway.

Stephanie looked slightly confused about the sudden decision to place her down before something started happening when Stephanie gripped her hook again.

Carly started moving her around carefully like a swing, almost like the ones at the playground.

She was using her body like a merry-go-round, gently spinning her around without accidentally going into other cranes or other crates.

Stephanie was scared at first as she was spun around while on Carly’s hook but started to like it, and instead of panicking whimpers, it came out in laughter.

“Carly, careful!” Big Mickey exclaimed, watching with worry as Carly swung Stephanie around. “What are you trying to do? Toss her in the ocean?!”

Carly did not respond to Big Mickey’s questions as she continued spinning around, hearing Stephanie cheering and laughing.

She was having fun on Carly’s hook, feeling like she was on an amusement ride.

Cranky slightly groaned again as he rolled his eyes but had a hidden worried expression on his face as he watched what Carly was doing.

The workers finally stopped their work when they heard laughter, glancing over at Carly and noticing the little girl on her hook, beginning to panic.

The two dockyard engines were not there because they were going off to help someone else struggling with a heavy load.

Carly stopped after becoming dizzy from spinning around for a few minutes, laughing too.

But after she had stopped, she already got too dizzy while moving towards Cranky.

Then there was trouble!

“Watch out, Carly!”‌ Cranky warned as her hook with Stephanie moved around, bumping into a few things as Stephanie was now panicking slightly.

Carly’s hook missed some machines coming over to see what was going on, bumping into a few crates without hurting Stephanie, until her line wrapped around Cranky and Carly herself.

Stephanie got dizzier as she went on a wild ride, holding on for dear life while panicking slightly.

She did not seem like this was fun anymore as she was getting dizzier.

Then, to make matters worse, Stephanie was suddenly launched from Carly’s hook with a big jolt as the hook slipped from her sweaty and semi-bloody grip.

Carly and Cranky did not see what had happened, except for Big Mickey, who watched with worry.

Instead of landing in the ocean, she landed on something wooden with her back but did not notice it was moving.

Big Mickey slightly winced after she landed on something wooden before sighing in relief but still had a nervous expression on his face.

“What happened, Big Mickey?”‌ Carly asked as her hook landed next to her, without the little girl on it.

“And where’s the girl?!”‌ exclaimed Cranky, trying to turn his body but was stuck from Carly’s line.

Luckily, the load he lifted out of the previous cargo ship was on his hook but was entangled with Carly.

“Uh, she’s fine. She didn’t land in the ocean.”‌ Big Mickey responded.

Both Carly and Cranky sighed in relief.

“But, she landed on Ten Cents.” Big Mickey added after they had sighed.

Immediately, their relieved faces turned into surprised and worried expressions.

“Where is Ten Cents headin’ to?” Carly asked, trying to turn her body to see what was happening next.

“He’s heading for the Mainland docks to drop off some supplies there.” one of the workers answered, holding a clipboard in his hand.

“Oh,” all cranes spoke simultaneously. “Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt are not going to like this…”

* * *

Meanwhile, with Stephanie, she was dizzy as she blinked a few times, watching as the world around her spun around like a top.

She was lying back-first on the wooden ground, her backbone hurting a little from the impact after being flung off of Carly’s hook.

A few hours passed as she lay there on the wooden floor, staring up at the sky like an owl that had collided with a window.

After the world around her had finally stopped spinning around, she gingerly sat up from the wooden ground, looking at her new surroundings at where she is now.

But she only noticed the new scenery around her looked almost different from the Sodor docks she was familiar with.

Glancing down at what she was on top of, she realized she was on top of a ship.

_ That was heading somewhere other than the docks, and there was no one else on the ship with her. _

She was alone again and heading for somewhere that she does not know of!

Soon, she started crying again for the second time, crying in fear of being alone.

Suddenly, the ship she was on stopped at a sudden stop, causing her to be flung to the side, landing with a  _ thud! _

She yelped out in pain after she had landed on her side, sniffing a little.

“Hello?” a voice spoke, startling her as she flinched. “Who’s there?”

The voice’s accent sounds different from the crane that picked her up from the ground.

But the voice is also a male’s instead of a female’s.

Stephanie stayed put where she was in fear, worried that she might make the person who was calling for someone angry.

But her soft crying was giving her away.

“I don’t want to be mean, but show yourself now!” the voice snapped, causing her to flinch, reminding her of who she escaped from.

In a panic, she crawled away from the spot she was hiding behind on her hands and knees.

She wanted to get off the ship before being caught by the cranky person.

But she tripped over her knees and collapsed on the floor of the ship again.

Instead of yelling, she heard nothing but the sounds of a machine running gently.

Slowly, Stephanie glanced around for the figure who angrily called out to her but found no one.

“Uh,” the voice spoke again, sounding a bit confused and worried at the same time. “Look to the right.”

To the voice’s command, she turned to the right before glancing up, noticing the ship she landed on had a face too, like the cranes and the locomotives!

The ship she landed on has a black hull, a yellow superstructure, a white mast, and an American flag-styled red, white, and blue smokestack.

The number one was painted on his smokestack, just like Thomas.

On top of his head, he wears a blue cap, seeming a little strange to Stephanie.

There was a light on it with a small statue of a bird behind it.

Immediately, she froze in fear, unable to move at all or think of any way to tell him she was accidentally launched on him by a crane who was trying to cheer her up.

Instead, the ship spoke to her without yelling at her to make her feel overwhelmed.

He said, “Hello, who are you and how didja get onto my deck?”

“I, uh, I,” Stephanie stammered, shaking like a leaf in front of him, before starting to cry. “I…”

“Ah, d-don’t cry!” exclaimed the ship when he noticed she was about to. “I’m not mad at you. I was just a bit startled. Sometimes the kids would toss some things onto my deck for fun whenever I pass underneath the bridge.”

Stephanie sighed slightly in relief after he had assured her, using her long sleeves to wipe her tears away from her cheeks as she sniffed.

“But, I‌ didn’t expect them to toss a little girl onto my deck,” he murmured to himself as he frowned slightly. “Were they bullies?”

Stephanie was still silent as he softly mumbled to himself, still shaking like a leaf and crying silently.

“Maybe the others might know where ya came from!” he smiled as he continued on his adventure. “I’m Ten Cents, by the way.”

“S-Stephanie,” Stephanie stammered, finally speaking to him. “Stephanie Nova Rose Allen is my name, Mr. Ten Cents.”

He gently chuckled as he turned around a corner down the canal.

“Please, don’t call me ‘Mr. Ten Cents,’” he chuckled. “Just call me Ten Cents, okay?”

Stephanie giggled slightly and pushed back a strand of wild brown hair from her face.

“Alright, Ten Cents.” she smiled before using her sleeves to wipe her tears away as she sniffed.

As he continued down the way, he asked, “By the way, what were ya doin’ down at the docks? Didn’t ya board Gordon’s coaches?”

Stephanie sadly glanced away from him and shook her head.

“No, I couldn’t board the coaches.” Stephanie softly answered.

“Why not?” Ten Cents asked, sounding slightly confused.

“Because a passenger pushed me away from the coaches before I could step inside,” Stephanie answered, explaining what happened. “Mrs. Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt did not notice I did not board the coaches, and Gordon had already left.”

“That was rude of him!” exclaimed Ten Cents angrily. “When I see that guy, I’m goin’ to report him to Captain Star!”

At first, Stephanie was surprised at the irritated tone in his voice about that man who rudely pushed her away from the coaches, absent-mindedly noticing the slight puffs of angry steam clouds of his smokestack.

She smiled softly at the determination Ten Cents showed.

“Thank you, Ten Cents.” Stephanie thanked him.

“What else, though?” Ten Cents asked. “Did the workmen, Salty, or Porter see ya get pushed or that guy?”

“No,” Stephanie sighed. “They were too busy with work, but the cranes did hear me crying.”

Ten Cents reached a large village as he turned the corner, glancing up for a moment to watch where he was going, so he would not bump into someone.

After looking up before bumping into someone, he glanced back down at Stephanie to listen to her story.

“The yellow crane picked me up from the ground and spun me around to cheer me up a little.” Stephanie continued to finish up her story of what had happened. 

She smiled slightly at the memory of being swung around like a merry-go-round.

“She got a little dizzy from spinning around and accidentally got entangled with the other crane who painted in a… olive green color?” She paused slightly to think of the crane’s name.

“You mean Cranky?” Ten Cents asked.

“Yeah,” Stephanie nodded before looking confused about the name. “That’s his name?”

“Sure is, that’s his name!” chuckled Ten Cents. “He’s just named like that because he is not only cranky, but he is a crane!”

Stephanie chuckled softly along with him from the name of the crane she had met at the docks.

“What a wonderful name for a crane!” Stephanie smiled softly.

Ten Cents smiled gently and glanced forward again before glancing back over to her.

“And I’m guessin’ that Carly tossed you from behind on accident, and Big Mickey saw you land on my deck?” Ten Cents asked.

Stephanie nodded her head before glancing over to the left, seeing another crane who turned around to see Ten Cents.

The crane is painted sky blue with magenta, yellow lining, and white hazard stripes.

His back was facing them as he was moving items around, mostly putting them onto another locomotive.

“Whoa,” Stephanie smiled, feeling slightly braver to see more anthropomorphic machines. “Who’s this crane?”

Ten Cents glances up at the crane before responding, answering Stephanie’s question, “That’s Beresford. He’s a crane too.”

Beresford, the dark blue crane, heard Ten Cents say his name and glanced down at him after turning around towards him.

“Something about me?” he asked before noticing Stephanie on his deck staring up at him with curiosity. “Who’s she?”

“Her name is Stephanie,” Ten Cents said as she stood on her tippy-toes to get a better look at him. “She was accidentally tossed onto me when she was stuck on the docks after some jerk pushed her away before boardin’ Gordon’s passenger coaches.”

Beresford grunted slightly in irritation about the rude passenger before curiously asking, “May I have a close look at her?”

Ten Cents had a slightly glaring look at Beresford, as Stephanie, on the other hand, looked somewhat doubtful of herself.

“Are you sure ‘bout that?” Ten Cents asked.

“I’m sure!” Beresford sighed. “You have known me for two years!”

“I have known Big Mickey for thirty-one years, Beresford!”‌ Ten Cents called out to him. “So, you’re only twenty years younger than him!”

Beresford opened his mouth to counter Ten Cents’ objective before closing it when he realized he had a point.

“Touché,” Beresford nodded. “I have only been here for two years since I was removed from the Mainland, and you came here just in 2000.”

Stephanie softly giggled at the slight rivalry between a crane and a boat before speaking to Ten Cents, “It’s okay, Ten Cents. I have been picked up by a crane before!”

Ten Cents first had the same unsure look on his face about Stephanie’s naïve trust towards Beresford before sighing.

“Oh, alright,” sighed Ten Cents before warning Beresford before he placed his hook down on his deck. “Just don’t drop her into the ocean, okay?”

Beresford nodded and placed his hook down for Stephanie to climb on, as she hesitated for a moment before climbing on excitedly.

After she climbed onto his hook excitedly while holding onto it with both of her hands, she patiently waited for him to crank her up into the sky.

Once she was seated on his hook, Beresford carefully lifted her into the sky from Ten Cent’s deck.

She had a hold on the side of his hook after sitting down as she went up to his face.

Ten Cents watched from below as Stephanie went up to Beresford’s face as he inspected Stephanie.

Instead of being scared or shy in front of him, Stephanie relaxed as Beresford inspected her.

From the back of her mind, Stephanie felt terrible about her reaction towards Carly at Brandom Docks.

So, Stephanie made a sticky note to remind herself to apologize to Carly for her reaction.

“You look like you were someone’s daughter.” Beresford softly spoke after inspecting her for a while.

“Uh, actually,” Stephanie spoke, sounding slightly ashamed and sheepish. “I’m not anyone’s daughter. I am Mrs.-”

Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a loud bump noise coming from her belongings before glancing down at what could have bumped into Ten Cents.

Beresford did the same thing when he heard the noise, too.

To her surprise, it was another tugboat, except in a black color than the colors like Ten Cents.

The tugboat wears a flat black hat with a white stripe around it and has a mustache.

“Oi!” exclaimed Ten Cents as the other tugboat behind him giggled. “What where yer’re goin’, Zorran!”

“How about you since you were in the way!” snapped Zorran, the name of the black tugboat behind him.

Beresford sighed as they both got into an argument, snapping at each other a few times.

Stephanie shuddered softly to herself about the argument, wanting to cover her ears from hearing it, but her arms were wrapped around Beresford’s hook.

He turned his body around and accidentally set Stephanie down in another tugboat, assuming the boat was asleep.

He turned back around to the two arguing tugboats before snapping louder than them, “That’s enough, you two!”

Stephanie flinched in startlement after Beresford snapped at them before pointing his hook over at Zorran.

“You need to stop bumping into things!” he snapped at him. “That includes bumping into the Star Tugs like Ten Cents here!”

While the three were snapping at each other about Zorran’s rudeness of purposely bumping into Ten Cents, the tugboat that Beresford assumed to be asleep started moving again, causing Stephanie to look slightly confused about the sudden movements.

Stephanie did not call out to Beresford because she was too scared to be snapped at, remembering a memory that haunted her.

After Beresford snapped at Zorran, Zorran grumbled and went off as Ten Cents blew a raspberry at him behind his back.

“Now,” Beresford spoke, turning around to see where Stephanie was. “Where were we talking ab-”

He was cut off when he noticed that the ‘sleeping’ tugboat was not there, along with Stephanie.

Ten Cents noticed the pause in Beresford’s voice, looking suspicious and worried.

“What happened?” Ten Cents asked.

Beresford did not answer Ten Cents’ question at first, wincing slightly before turning towards him, “Uh, ahem, she’s… I lost her, Ten Cents.”

Ten Cents’ face changed from confused and slightly worried to a complete and utter shocked expression.

“YOU‌‌‌ DID‌ WHAT?!”‌ exclaimed Ten Cents, as a puff of steam burst out of his smokestack.

“I didn’t mean to lose her!” panicked Beresford. “I just placed her down on a tugboat next to the docks and went back over to snap at you and Zorran that you were arguing with, and the next thing I‌ knew, when I turned back around, she and the tugboat were gone!”

Ten Cents groaned as he glanced around for the tugboat that Beresford had accidentally placed her on.

But he could not see where the tugboat was!

“Who was the tugboat you placed her on, and what does this tugboat look like?” Ten Cents quickly asked.

Beresford blinked for a moment before trying to remember what that tugboat looked like before noticing the design on Ten Cents’ smokestack.

“I remember the tugboat had that same design on your smokestack!” he mentioned.

“But, which one?!” Ten Cents panicked, snapping slightly at Beresford. “There’s only seven of us!”

Beresford continued trying to remember which one was near him when he placed Stephanie down but groaned after getting only blanks.

“I don’t know,” Beresford groaned. “The tugboat wasn’t facing the other way when I placed her down on them.”

Ten Cents moaned with slight worry and irritation before moving away, on the move to search for Stephanie.

“Hey!” Beresford called out to him. “What about the crates you left behind?”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, Beresford!” Ten Cents called him. “I’ll come back to help you with ‘em after findin’ Stephanie!”

Beresford groaned slightly and mumbled to himself about accidentally losing Stephanie on a tugboat after splitting the two of them apart that were arguing.

He went to work to unload the barge as Ten Cents went to find Stephanie as fast as he could.

“Stephanie?” Ten Cents called out. “Stephanie!‌ Where are ya?!”

* * *

Meanwhile, Stephanie was about to talk to ‘Ten Cents,’ thinking Beresford put her back on his deck when she noticed she instead boarded the wrong boat.

The tugboat is painted in the same corporate livery as Ten Cents, whom she met earlier.

It consists of a black hull, a yellow superstructure, a white mast, and an American flag-styled red, white, and blue smokestack.

He has the number four on his smokestack and wears a black vintage top hat along with a monocle.

Stephanie bit the bottom of her lip when she noticed she was on top of the wrong boat, feeling worried about saying anything to him, but gathered courage and said, “Excuse me?”

He was slightly startled when she pardoned herself, stopping for a moment before looking down and noticing Stephanie on his deck, looking confused and scared.

“How on earth did you get on my deck?” he asked, looking slightly confused. “I thought Beresford placed my crate on the barge behind me.”

“N-No,” Stephanie stammered before explaining what happened. “Not really. I was on top of Ten Cents’ deck when Beresford picked me up from him to get a closer look at me. At that same moment, another tugboat rudely bumped into Ten Cents from behind.”

“And who is this other tug?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I can’t remember the name,” Stephanie sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “But I remember the tugboat wore a black, flat hat with a white band around it.”

“Then that must’ve been one of the Z-Stacks tugboats that had pushed him.” the tugboat sighed. “Please continue with your story.”

Stephanie nodded her head and continued with her story to the tugboat, “Well, after that tugboat bumped into Ten Cents from behind, they both started arguing, and Beresford got annoyed about it. He placed me on the back of your deck, thinking you were asleep.”

“Which I was not,”‌ the tugboat scoffed. “I was merely waiting for my shipping to come, so I could take it to Captain Star.”

Stephanie nodded her head and awkwardly rubbed her left arm as she had a nervous expression on her face.

“Are you angry about having an unexpected guest on you?” she asked, sounding a little worried as she rubbed her left arm.

“A little,”‌ sighed the tugboat. “But, since you were only placed onto me by accident, I’m only crossed at Beresford.”

Stephanie sighed in relief slightly before asking, “What is your name?”

“My name is Top Hat.” answered the tugboat.‌ “What about you?”

“Stephanie,”‌ answered Stephanie. “Stephanie Nova Rose Allen.”

A slightly surprised look appeared on Top‌ Hat’s face before he asked, “Do you know someone by the name of Mrs. Dowager Hatt?”

Stephanie nodded her head before looking worried about Dowager Hatt’s reaction to finally finding Stephanie and will be angry at her for ‘not entering inside the coaches.’

“Do not worry, Stephanie,” Top Hat spoke before continuing on his way. “I’ll just go to Captain Star to let him know you accidentally came here and needed to be taken back to…?”

He paused as he drifted away, thinking of where she came from.

“I came from the docks where Cranky is, if you are wondering,” Stephanie spoke, helping him remember.

“Ah, yes! Brendam Docks!” he nodded. “Thank you, Stephanie. You are such a nice and cooperative little girl.”

A light blush appeared on Stephanie’s cheeks from the compliment Top Hat said to her as he turned around the corner.

“Don’t mind me asking,” he spoke, as Stephanie glanced up at him with slight curiosity. “Why did you not board Gordon’s coaches?”

“Well,” Stephanie responded, rubbing the back of her neck. “A rude passenger pushed me away from the coaches before I could come aboard, and Gordon had already left.”

An irritated expression came to Top Hat’s face as he growled, “That was rude of him.”

“Are you going to report him to Captain Star with Ten Cents?” Stephanie curiously asked.

He nodded his head in response after Stephanie asked before entering the dock where Ten Cents was, as he looked slightly worried and panicked.

To Stephanie’s surprise, there were more tugboats in the docks too.

The first tugboat has the same corporate livery, a black hull, a yellow superstructure, a white mast, and an American flag-styled red, white and blue smokestack. 

His name ‘Big Mac’ is painted on the sides of his bow in white, and he has the number two on his smokestack. 

He wears a navy blue cap on top of his head.

The third was not a tugboat but also had the same livery, a black hull, and a yellow superstructure.

Instead, he has a brown mast and white paddle-wheel housings, including an American flag-styled red, white, and blue smokestack. 

He has the name ‘O.J.’ is painted on the sides of his bow in white and the number three on his smokestack.

He wore a light brown boater hat with a red band on it, along with a pair of glasses.

The fourth tugboat is painted in the same livery, a black hull, a yellow superstructure, a white mast, and an American flag-styled red, white, and blue smokestack.

He has the name ‘Warrior’ is painted on the sides of his bow in white and the number five on his smokestack.

He wears a blue cap on top of his head, with some bits of hair from underneath.

The fifth was the hugest tugboat that Stephanie had ever seen before and is painted in the same livery as the rest.

Which is a black hull, a yellow superstructure, a white mast, and an American flag-styled red, white, and blue smokestack.

He has the name ‘Hercules’ is painted on the sides of his bow in white and the number six on his smokestack.

He wears round yellow-tinted glasses and a blue and white sailor’s cap.

There were sideburns on the sides of his face and some jet-black hair underneath his cap.

The last tugboat was smaller than Ten Cents and painted in the same livery as the rest.

Which is a black hull with a yellow superstructure, a white mast, and an American flag-styled red, white, and blue smokestack.

He has the name ‘Sunshine’ is painted on the sides of his bow in white, and on the sides of his smokestack, he has the number seven painted.

He wears a red cap on top of his head and has a single tooth from his lower jaw when he talks.

They were listening to Ten Cents, who looked worried.

“Are you all sure that neither of you didn’t see her?” Ten Cents asked.

“We are sure, Ten Cents!” the number three boat nodded. “We did not see this, ‘Stephanie Allen,’ you speak of.”

“Well, about her,” Top Hat spoke, as his head rose a little, which made Stephanie look slightly impressed and startled.

Before he could continue, though, Ten Cents interrupted him with many questions about Stephanie.

“What about her?!” he exclaimed, panicking slightly. “Did you see her, Top Hat?!‌ Did one of the Z-Stacks kidnap her?!‌ Did-”

“Calm down first, for goodness’ sake!” he lightly snapped, interrupting Ten Cents. “Stephanie is with me. I‌ came here to see what all the commotion was in the first place.”

Stephanie stepped off Top Hat’s deck after he had stopped by the docks, showing nothing had happened to her.

Ten Cents sighed in relief after she stepped off of Top Hat’s deck with the help of one of the workmen.

“Thank you, Top Hat.” he thanked before glancing back over at Stephanie. “Are you alright?”

“Besides having a lovely conversation with Top Hat,” Stephanie smiled. “I’m fine.”

She lied a little to them, not showing her palms to them to make them worry that Top Hat, Ten Cents, or Beresford hurt her because of how scratched they were from the pavement.

In the background, Top Hat blushed slightly from the compliment as some tugs noticed, giving some smiles at his reaction.

He cleared his throat a little with bashfulness, blushing a little more when noticing the smiles.

A white and blue megaphone popped out from the window of the building in front of the tugs.

“ _ Thank you, Top Hat. _ ”‌ a man’s voice spoke through it. “ _ I’m glad you kept Mrs. Dowager Hatt’s visitor safe from any harm. _ ”

Stephanie blushed slightly as the tugboats looked surprised as they glanced over at her.

“So, you are Dowager Hatt’s visitor?” the number five tugboat asked.

Stephanie nodded her head before nervously rubbing her left arm and turning towards the megaphone.

“Sorry for causing any problems.” she apologized. “It seems like I am a walking troublemaker to anyone.”

“ _ It is fine, Stephanie. _ ”‌ the man behind the megaphone called. “ _ You’re not as much of a troublemaker as anyone else except for the Z-Stacks who are troublemakers. _ ”

Stephanie nodded her head gently, remembering the encounter with one of them who rudely bumped into Ten Cents.

“ _ Now, _ ” the man behind the megaphone spoke. “ _ Why don’t we properly introduce ourselves to you, Stephanie? My name is Captain Star, the leader of the Star Tugs. _ ”

Stephanie nodded her head, smiling softly.

Since he had already heard about her, Stephanie does not have to introduce herself to him again.

Captain Star cleared his throat, “ _ The number one boat is Ten Cents, who you have met before. _ ”

Stephanie waved to Ten Cents in response as he whistled his whistle.

“ _ The number two tugboat is Big Mac, _ ” Captain Star continued, introducing the others.

Stephanie waved to Big Mac as he whistled his whistle.

“ _ The number three tugboat is Old Jones, but we call him O.J., _ ” Captain Star introduced, as Stephanie glanced over at him. 

He whistled his whistle at Stephanie after she had waved to him.

“ _ The number four tugboat is Top Hat, whom you have met before too, _ ” Captain Star introduced, as Stephanie turned towards him.‌

Stephanie waved her hand towards him as he whistled his whistle at her.

It was loud and caused Stephanie to flinch a little, but not too much to make him feel bad about it.

“ _ The number five tugboat is Warrior, _ ” Captain Star continued.

Stephanie waved her hand towards him as he whistled his whistle at her in response.

“ _ The number six tugboat is Hercules, _ ” Captain Star introduced the next boat.

Hercules whistled his whistle in response to Stephanie after she waved her hand at him.

“ _ And the number seven tugboat is Sunshine. _ ” Captain Star finished.

Sunshine whistled his whistle in response to Stephanie waving her hand towards him.

“Don’t forget about me!” exclaimed a voice, causing Stephanie to glance down at the water to see a gray submarine wearing goggles surface from underwater.

“ _ Oh, sorry about that, Grampus. _ ” Captain Star apologized.

“It is alright,” Grampus, the name of the gray submarine, nodded before noticing Stephanie. “Who’s this?”

“Grampus,” Ten Cents spoke. “This is Stephanie,” he glanced over at Stephanie. “Stephanie, this is the Star Fleet.”

“Pleased to meet you all,” Stephanie spoke, bowing slightly to them.

“Pleased to meet you too, Stephanie,” nodded Sunshine.

“Yes, pleased to meet you, too.” nodded O.J.

Stephanie beamed a little as she blushed until Captain Star said through the megaphone, “ _ Alright, one of you tugboats need to take Stephanie back to the docks where Gordon’s branch line goes, so Mrs. Dowager Hatt can see her again. _ ”

“Ooh, ooh!” Sunshine spoke, moving forward a little. “Could I take her back?”

“I think the first tugboat who found her would take her back,” O.J. suggested.

“ _ I think that’s a good idea, O.J! _ ” agreed Captain Star, as Sunshine moved back slightly with a bit of a pouting face. “ _ But, if she accidentally gets lost again, Sunshine, you’ll get to take her back next time. _ ”

Sunshine smiled slightly as Ten Cents moved forward, allowing Stephanie to carefully climb onto his deck.

One of the workers picked Stephanie up from underneath her armpits and handed her over to one of Ten Cents’ crew members.

Once she was placed back onto the solid wooden ground, Stephanie moved over to where his face was and sat beside him on a crate.

“ _ Alright, off you go, Ten Cents! _ ”‌ Captain Star nodded as Ten Cents whistled his whistle and moved out of the docks backwards as Stephanie waved her hand at him.

Somehow, Stephanie could see a hand waving back to her from behind the window, but Ten Cents did not notice it.

“Hey, Ten Cents?” Stephanie curiously asked after a minute of silence.

“Yeah?” answered Ten Cents.

“Have you seen Captain Star in person?” she asked.

“No, not really.” Ten Cents answered, sighing slightly. “He’s usually behind that window all the time, and me or the others barely see him.”

Stephanie thought to herself as she glanced away, thinking to herself more.

“Who else?” Stephanie asked, glancing up at him.

Ten Cents thought to himself for a moment as he glanced away, thinking of who else he had never seen before.

“Well,” he began before stopping as a Z-Stack boat passed by him. “There are many people who I have never seen before in person, but you and the others back at the Sodor docks are about the people I usually see.”

Stephanie glanced away again to think to herself before noticing Beresford as Ten Cents passed by him.

He was acting like a wife who broke a bowl around Ten Cents while blushing slightly.

“Don’t worry!”‌ Stephanie called up to him. “It was an accident! I didn’t get hurt either, which was lucky!”

Beresford paused for a moment as he glanced away before glancing over at Stephanie, nodding in response to her assuring.

Ten Cents had a slight grudge expression on his face as he exited, entering the spacious ocean, and headed back to Sodor’s docks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cranky, Carly, and Big Mickey were unloading the cargo ships that appeared by the docks.

They still had a worried expression on their faces as they turned back and forth, unloading and loading the ships with crates onto two engines that were on the docks.

Carly and Cranky’s entangled mess from earlier in the day was already fixed, and they were back at work.

“Oh, if only I slowed down,” Carly softly complained as she lifted a flatbed from inside the ship.

“Don’t worry,” Cranky assured her, confusing her a little. “It was an accident! Besides, I think Ten Cents will bring her back!”

“If Captain Bluenose doesn’t get to her first,” Big Mickey spoke worriedly.

The two engines, who were listening to the conversation, glanced at each other with slight confusion.

They did not know who they were talking about.

Then, a tugboat’s whistle whistled in the distance, causing them to stop slightly.

“Hey, is that?” Carly spoke before Big Mickey finished for her, “Ten Cents!”

Ten Cents appeared beside the docks, with a slight cocky smile on his face as he called them after the ship left, “Did you forgot somethin’ while goofin’ off?”

“Hey!”‌ exclaimed Cranky as he blushed slightly, along with Carly, who was not looking at Ten Cents eye-to-eye. “We weren’t goofing around! It’s just there is a little girl named Stephanie who-”

“Accidentally boarded on me by Carly, am I right?” Ten Cents interrupted.

All three cranes looked confused as they glanced at each other.

“How did you know, Ten Cents?” asked Big Mickey.

“‘n who be this ‘Stephanie’ they be natterin’ about?” the dockyard diesel asked with confusion.

“Well,” Ten Cents spoke, glancing down for a moment, before back up at them. “Watch.”

Slowly, Stephanie stood up from Ten Cents’ deck, and with the help of the workmen, she was back on the docks with no scratches or bruises all over her body.

All three cranes sighed in relief as the two engines were surprised to see her.

“Thank you, Ten Cents!”‌ Carly sighed. “We were worried you might take her somewhere else!”

“Why should I?” Ten Cents asked as he moved forward before turning around and heading back to the Mainland. “She’s only eleven years old! Besides, it was her crying that got my attention.”

A slight blush appeared on Stephanie’s cheeks after Ten Cents mentioned her crying, looking sheepish.

He whistled his whistle and disappeared in the distance as Stephanie waved her hand to him happily, her blush fading away.

“Thank you!” She called him as he whistled his whistle again.

After Ten Cents disappeared, she glanced over at the workers who helped her off him.

“Wait here, okay?” the worker asked as Stephanie nodded her head. “I’ll call Sir Topham Hatt to let him know you are brought back here.”

Stephanie nodded her head and stood where she was as the worker walked off, heading over to the telephone in the distance.

While he was busy flicking the dial to the numbers, Stephanie was worried about the angry scolding she would receive if Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt came to the docks to see her, as her hands clenched her oversized sweater.

A horn startled her as she jolted before landing on her bottom after tripping over her own feet.

“Oops, sorry about that!” the dockyard diesel blushed, coming over to her. “I guess ye don’t like that much noise, hmm?”

Stephanie nodded her head shyly and stood back up to her feet, stammering, “S-Sorry for being scared about your horn. I was a little startled.”

He chuckled and honked his horn, startling a few seagulls as they flew away, except one.

“Aye, ‘tis true that me horn be loud, but it can warn others or let them know that I be comin’.” He softly smiled. “But every engine ain’t complete without a horn.”

“Or a whistle,” added the steam engine after pushing a flatbed and whistling his whistle.

Stephanie smiled softly about their kindness and said, “Well, I like your whistle and horn. They sound perfect for you two!”

Both engines blushed after Stephanie remarked as she smiled softly.

They moved out of the way when a crate almost went past their fronts.

“Hey!” the dockside steam engine exclaimed, glancing up at Cranky.

“Watch where ye’re goin’, Cranky!” the dockyard diesel glared slightly.

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Cranky sighed. “But we have work to do!”

“Aye, I know!” the dockyard diesel scowled as he went off, along with the steam engine, who looked slightly irritated. “Don’t get yer wrenches in a knot!”

Cranky huffed and went back to work as Carly rolled her eyes slightly.

Stephanie mumbled something to herself in quiet German, pushing back a strand of brown hair.

The dockyard diesel came back again after Cranky was a little focused on picking the crates up, as he whispered to Stephanie, “Me name be Salty.”

Stephanie smiled softly and said, whispering back, “My name is Stephanie, Stephanie Nova Rose Allen.”

Salty softly smiled as he moved back, allowing the dockyard steam engine to come over with a flatbed.

“And I’m Porter,” Porter smiled.

“Pleased to meet you,” Stephanie smiled back as she patiently continued waiting at the spot where she was.

She continued to wait at the spot where the worker told her to stay as she watched both Salty and Porter working on the docks, pushing flatbeds around and sorting crates here and there.

Suddenly, she heard something puffed in front of her, which caused her to look up, amazed to see another big steam engine, except painted apple-green instead of blue.

The steam locomotive is painted apple-green with a red and yellow lining. 

The number three is painted on the sides of his tender in yellow with a red lining.

The lining around his cab windows is yellow.

At first, Stephanie was startled to see the green steam locomotive, but then the locomotive softly spoke, “Ah, don’t be afraid of me. I’m not that dangerous.”

Stephanie stopped for a moment before sighing, saying, “Forgive me,‌ I was just a little startled to see a big and grand steam locomotive.”

The number three steam locomotive blushed from the compliment Stephanie gave, stuttering a little as he glanced around.

Stephanie smiled softly and said, “Well, you can’t be afraid of me either because I’m not like the other kids who liked to climb on engines.”

He stopped stuttering and smiled softly towards her before noticing something.

“Are you a passenger?” he softly asked.

Stephanie nodded her head in response to his question.

“Why didn’t you get into Gordon’s coaches?” he asked again.

“Well,”‌ Stephanie spoke before explaining the story again to him.

She began at how she was pushed by a rude passenger, missed the locomotive because of him, and was cheered up by Carly, who accidentally tossed her onto Ten Cents’ dock.

Carly slightly blushed as she listened to the story Stephanie repeating to the big green steam locomotive as Cranky rolled his eyes.

He felt sorry for the little girl, so he thought to himself for a moment before getting an idea.

“Why don’t I get a friend of mine to get you?” he asked.

“Who?” Stephanie asked, glancing up as Carly placed the last crate down onto his flatbed.

“You’ll see,” he answered before whistling his whistle and puffed off, leaving Stephanie in slight confusion.

So, she waited to see what the apple-green locomotive said.

During the wait, Stephanie wonders to herself about who is his ‘friend’ that he is bringing with him?

Then, she heard two steam locomotive whistles blow into the air after an hour or two passed, causing her to perk up a little out of curiosity.

To her surprise, two black steam locomotives appeared in front of Stephanie, with red-and-white lining on their tenders, as the first one that is close to her had the number nine, and the second one had the number ten.

“A heard thon we are supposit tae pick up a wee bairn wi’ long brown hair?” the number nine steam locomotive spoke, his accent thick with Scottish slang.

Stephanie hesitated for a moment, feeling unsure if she said she was the one the apple-green locomotive said until she gathered courage and said, “That would be me.”

They glanced around to see who said that until they made eye contact with Stephanie, who looked a little shy in front of him.

“Are ye the wee bairn we are supposit tae pick up?” the number ten steam locomotive asked, who also has the same accent as the twin.

Stephanie nodded her head and said, “Stephanie, Stephanie Nova Rose Allen, is my name.”

“Pleasit tae meet ye, Stephanie.” the number nine steam locomotive spoke. “I’m Donald.”

He whistled his whistle after he had introduced himself.

“An’ A’m Douglas.” smiled at the number ten steam locomotive before whistling his whistle in return.

They both sounded the same at first, but one of them seemed to be a little higher than the other.

Stephanie nodded her head slightly as Donald’s cab door opened, as his driver gently beckoned her to come inside.

Accepting the invitation, Stephanie climbed into his cab as his driver closed the door behind her back.

“Alricht,” Donald spoke before whistling his whistle again after she boarded inside his cab. “Hold on as we tak ye tae the station.”

Stephanie nodded her head gently and waited in the back, feeling ashamed of herself for being on an adventure without Dowager Hatt and feeling like she was in big trouble with her.

She was also a little nervous about being inside a steam engine since she knows how fast they could be in races.

She wrapped her arms around the driver’s legs to keep herself safe as he glanced down at her once before back up at what he was doing.

Donald and Douglas noticed the silence from Stephanie as they puffed towards the station, as Douglas asked, “Oi, whit’s wrong?”

Stephanie glanced up slightly and tried to peek out the window, but she was short and could not reach it, even if she used her tippy-toes.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands gently grab her from underneath her armpits and lift her from the floor.

Confused, she glanced over her shoulder to see who had picked her up.

It was from Donald’s fireman, as he paused a little after shoveling many shovelfuls of coal into Donald’s firebox before helping her.

Outside of Donald’s cabin’s window revealed Douglas near Donald’s cab, looking slightly confused and concerned for her.

“I’m a little worried about Mrs. Dowager Hatt,” Stephanie answered. “Am I going to be in trouble with her since I had been on an adventure without her?”

“Ach, na, ye’re no’ i’ trouble wi’ her,” Donald spoke, assuring her along with his twin brother.

“We’ll juist explain tae her whit happenit, an’ she will understand.” Douglas nodded, smiling softly towards Stephanie.

Stephanie paused for a moment about his assuring before nodding her head.

Donald’s fireman placed Stephanie back down on the ground after Stephanie finished talking to Douglas, as she thought to herself about their assuring as she wrapped her arms around the driver’s legs.

She trusted them with their assuring, as she sighed, but did not use too much of her strength around his driver’s legs.

Once they had both reached Knapford station, they could both see a worried Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt, as they were both glancing around.

“Excuse us!” called Donald. “Is thare a problem?”

Dowager Hatt nodded her head as Sir Topham Hatt answered, “Yes, we are missing a little girl with long brown hair and steel-blue eyes. Have you seen her?”

Donald and Douglas grinned as Donald’s cab door opened, revealing the little girl, looking worried and anxious, rubbing her left arm.

“Ta-da?” Stephanie nervously spoke as she stepped onto the platform.

Instead of yelling, the two hugged her unexpectedly as she looked slightly confused.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re safe!” Sir Topham Hatt sighed before glancing up at Donald and Douglas. “Thank you for bringing her back!”

“Aw, it wis na problem!” smiled Donald as they both blushed at the same time.

“It wis Henry, hou found her first!” Douglas exclaimed.

‘Who’s ‘Henry?’’ Stephanie thought to herself in confusion after Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt released their hug around her.

Suddenly, a steam locomotive’s whistle whistled that caused Stephanie to perk from the sudden noise as a long apple-green with red stripes steam locomotive appeared in the station.

It was the same steam locomotive that found her in the first place!

“Did someone say my name?” he asked curiously after hearing someone say his name.

“Yes, we did, Henry.” nodded Sir Topham Hatt. “For your gratitude for finding Stephanie, you get to have the rest of the day off for now.”

“But, but,” stammered Gordon, who pulled up beside Donald and Douglas. “Who’s going to pull the Flying Kipper at night?”

“A dinnae know,” chuckled Donald, as he was giving a sly smirk on his face to Gordon. “Maybe Sir Topham Hatt wad give ye the job tae pull the Flyin’ Kipper.”

Gordon’s expression on his face was shocked as Donald, Douglas, and Henry giggled slightly.

“Well,” Dowager Hatt spoke, sounding thoughtful. “Since Henry has pulled the Flying Kipper for a long time, I think a little change would do!”

“Oh, the indignity…” Gordon grumbled as he puffed away after the sound of the conductor’s whistle blew.

Donald, Douglas, and Henry, the big apple-green locomotive, laughed as Gordon puffed away, as Stephanie still looked ashamed.

“A-Are you both angry at me for having an adventure without you two?” she asked worriedly as her right hand gripped her sweater nervously.

They both glanced over at her and gently shook their heads no, placing each hand on her shoulders.

“No, Stephanie,” Sir Topham Hatt softly spoke. “We are not cross. We went to the docks after you were on Ten Cents. Big Mickey filled us in with what had happened to you. But, if you do it on purpose, we will be a little cross at you.”

Stephanie smiled a little as she stopped gripping her sweater in her hand, feeling relieved they were not angry at her for her mistake.

“But,” she spoke, rubbing the back of her neck instead of her left arm. “What about that rude passenger?”

Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt glanced at each other for a moment before responding,‌ “The rude passenger got away before the conductors found him, but we will make sure he will remember not to push people away.”

Stephanie nodded her head in response as they gently took her from the station, deciding that her adventure around Sodor’s docks was enough.

Once they entered Sir Topham Hatt’s office, Sir Topham Hatt noticed something red was slightly stained on the fabric of the right-hand side of her hip on her sweater.

“What’s that?” He asked, mentioning over to the stain.

Confused, Stephanie glanced over to it and noticed that it was faint blood.

Then, she glanced down at her hands and opened them, seeing that she was bleeding slightly from the scratches she had.

“Ah, I must’ve scratched my hands when I fell onto my bottom,” Stephanie spoke, as one of the men by Sir Topham Hatt took out some bandages.

As the men were mending her hand, Dowager Hatt curiously asked, “But, shouldn’t the scratches be hurting by now?”

Stephanie went silent after Dowager Hatt asked, mumbling, “I’ve dealt with this before…”

Immediately, the man who was mending her hand stopped after she had mumbled, looking slightly confused.

Recognizing she must have mumbled something, Stephanie explained, “I meant that since I was an adventurous child, I sometimes come home in mud or scratches.”

They understood what she meant, and the man continued bandaging, but Dowager Hatt, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit confused.

Instead of asking, she kept the thought to herself instead.

But Stephanie mentally thought there might be more to the island, so she decided to look around more tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	4. Another Day Out Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie decided to have another round with going outside, but this time, it took another unexpected turn of events...

The next day, Stephanie woke up early in the morning before stiffening at the thought of being inside the basement after being relaxed.

She unexpectedly enjoyed a good dinner last night, using her manners and acting as a well-mannered child.

But she did fall asleep on the chair after having dinner, not recalling what happened with the rest of the memory.

So, taking her chance to look, Stephanie peeked from underneath the blanket she was hiding, noticing she was back in the same room that the butler showed her to.

She was even wearing the same pajamas that Dowager Hatt bought for her while shopping.

It is a long-sleeved light blue shirt with dark blue pants that reached down to her ankles.

Sighing, Stephanie laid her head back down on the soft pillow in relief before deciding to get out of bed.

She fears getting Sir Topham Hatt or Dowager Hatt cross.

Once she had gotten up from the bed and sat on the side, Stephanie glanced down at her hands to check them.

They are still bandaged with new bandages after eating dinner but did need a good change.

They do not sting anymore, and perhaps the scratches have already dried up.

Stephanie ignored the bandages on her hands and switched from her pajamas into her usual clothes.

It was her sweater, a long-sleeve blue shirt, blue jeans, and light pink shoes with sky blue shoelaces.

She stepped out of her room and gently closed the door behind her back before seeing Alice walking down the other side of the hallway, carrying a laundry basket in her hands.

“Hello, Ms. Alice.” Stephanie politely greeted her as she walked by her as she followed by her side.

“Good morning, Stephanie.” Alice smiled softly. “How did you sleep?”

Pausing, Stephanie thought about her sleeping, rubbing her left arm in thought.

She remembers times when she had to wake up super early and do many chores, unable to sleep much at night.

“I slept well, Ms. Alice.” Stephanie smiled. “I suppose Sir Topham Hatt is waiting for me downstairs?”

“Yes, he is,” Alice nodded her head. “You should eat breakfast first, though. It helps your energy.”

Stephanie smiled and quickly hugged her around the waist before releasing and saying, “Thank you,” and went down the stairs.

Alice paused for a moment after Stephanie hugged her, as Reginald came over, glancing down at Stephanie as she stepped down the stairs, saying, “She is very well-mannered.”

“I know,” Alice smiled softly. “Her foster-father taught her very well.”

Stephanie was slightly saddened after hearing the conversation between the two before changing her mood as she turned around the corner, stopping when she saw Sir Topham Hatt instead of Dowager Hatt.

“Ah, Stephanie,” he smiled as Reginald came over and pulled a chair out for Stephanie. “Come here. There’s something I want to tell you.”

Stephanie’s stomach churned with worry, but she did not express her concern and walked over to the chair, sitting down on it as Reginald pushed her chair in.

“Since I may be busy today,” Sir Topham Hatt continued, as Stephanie politely placed a napkin on her lap to eat. “And the maids and Reginald might be busy taking care of you too. I have been thinking since last time did not go as well as we planned, maybe you would like another try of having a look around Sodor?”

“I would love that, Sir,” Stephanie nodded, blushing slightly with embarrassment when she remembered her ‘adventure’ without them. “I did go around the docks rather than the stations.”

Sir Topham Hatt chuckled as Stephanie’s plate was placed down in front of her, as Stephanie smiled brightly.

“There is more to Sodor than the docks,” Sir Topham Hatt spoke. “Just stick with me for now as we check the other stations.”

Stephanie thickly gulped when he mentioned ‘other stations’ out of surprise before asking, “You own many stations, Sir?”

Sir Topham Hatt chuckled softly after she curiously asked, before answering, “Bless you, no. Knapford is my station. The other stations belong to other conductors. There would be so much confusion and delay if I owned all the stations.”

Stephanie blushed again with sheepishness after she had asked, feeling downright stupid for asking a silly question.

“But,” Sir Topham Hatt spoke. “Since mother told me about your PTSD from that car crash,” Stephanie’s blush deepened. “I’ll use Winston to travel around Sodor with you.”

Her curiosity grew after hearing the name ‘Winston,’ glancing up from her plate after she had finished eating.

“Who’s ‘Winston?’” Stephanie curiously asked as Reginald picked up her empty plate.

“Winston is my railcar,” Sir Topham Hatt explained as Reginald picked up his empty plate from in front of him. “I use him to inspect the rails when they are damaged.”

“That’s amazing!” Stephanie smiled as Sir Topham Hatt stood up and took the napkin from around his neck.

Sir Topham Hatt gently chuckled as he placed a hand against Stephanie’s back, as Stephanie flinched a little from the touch.

It quietly confused him when Stephanie slightly flinched before changing his mind, saying, “Let’s go have a proper adventure, Stephanie.”

They went outside and went to a shed next to his mansion as Sir Topham Hatt followed with keys in his hand.

Stephanie noticed the shed was on top of a pair of tracks that lead into it through the door, lightly making Stephanie curious about who could be inside.

But she did hear light snoring coming from inside, sounding almost like a male inside.

Sir Topham Hatt gently knocked on the door after approaching it as the snoring stopped and yawned.

“Winston?” Sir Topham Hatt spoke. “Are you awake?”

“Yes, Sir,” Winston, the name of the voice behind the shed’s door, responded. “You already woke me up.”

“Oh.” Stephanie covered her mouth with her hand as she chuckled, as Sir Topham Hatt blushed a little.

“Who is with you, Sir?” Winston asked as Sir Topham Hatt unlocked the door with his key. “Is it Bridget or Stephen?”

“No,” Stephanie spoke as the shed’s door opened, revealing the railcar to her. “I’m Stephanie.”

Winston is painted two-tone red with a black frame and wheels. 

He has brass hinges, a brass horn, silver headlights, and a beige boot cover. 

He has a brass nameplate on either side with the name ‘Winston.’

Stephanie looked at first surprised when she met Winston for the first time, as Winston was confused when he saw her standing next to Sir Topham Hatt.

“Who is she, Sir?” Winston politely asked.

Bowing slightly, Stephanie introduced herself to him, “My name is Stephanie, Stephanie Nova Rose Allen.”

Winston was silent for a moment before saying, “My name is Winston, ma’am.”

Stephanie noticed the confused tone in his voice and blushed, taking a step back as she hid slightly behind Sir Topham Hatt.

“Sir, did you adopt her?” Winston softly asked.

“No,” Sir Topham Hatt responded. “She is staying here until her foster-father comes from America to take her back. One of the nurses from back at the hospital had already called him.”

Stephanie’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the explanation from Sir Topham Hatt to Winston.

She felt terrified about meeting her foster-father again for some reason.

She did not express her feelings and only followed behind Sir Topham Hatt as he boarded Winston.

Stephanie sat next to him after Sir Topham Hatt took the driver’s seat, feeling more nervous about being in the front.

She gripped her sweater nervously in a grip beside her body where he would not see it.

“You forget something, Stephanie,” Winston spoke, taking Stephanie by surprise as she flinched.

“Wh-What did I forget?” Stephanie stammered softly as Sir Topham Hatt’s expression on his face looked concerned for her but mostly confused.

“You forgot to buckle your seatbelt.” Stephanie blushed again after Winston spoke, before saying, “Oh, oops. I’m sorry about that, Winston.”

“It is alright,” Winston chuckled softly. “It is only your first time being on a railcar.”

“True,” nodded Stephanie after she buckled. “It is.”

She scratched her arm nervously from underneath her sweater’s sleeve as Sir Topham Hatt eyed her slightly from the side.

He started Winston up and accidentally went backwards, causing Stephanie to softly yelp and grip the seatbelt over her body.

“Oh, sorry, Stephanie,” Sir Topham Hatt apologized. “I’m more used to being on the road than being on the rails.”

Stephanie chuckled nervously after Sir Topham Hatt apologized before he went forward, jolting back and forth as he struggled with the controls.

While down the rails, Stephanie continued gripping her seatbelt over her as Sir Topham Hatt went forwards and backwards and jittered a few times.

Stephanie felt a little dizzy as she was shaken around, feeling like she was on some type of ride.

During that moment, Stephanie heard sounds of what seemed to be steam locomotives coming over, and her anxiety kicked in, thinking one of them was coming from behind them.

Stephanie was about to glance over to see if it was happening but quietly sighed when instead Henry, the number three steam locomotive she met at the docks, came over by the side of the tracks after whistling his whistle.

He noticed Winston wobbling down the tracks as Sir Topham Hatt drove, before chuckling, saying, “Look, it’s Wobbly Winston!”

Stephanie looked surprised by the compliment from Henry as he passed by them with trucks behind him.

She did not suspect it would come out of his mouth because of how friendly he was.

Gordon was behind him as he whistled his whistle as he pulled coaches from behind him, startling Stephanie as she flinched from the noise as he came from behind Henry.

“Start, stop,” Gordon lightly chuckled. “Stop, start. Make up your mind, Winston.”

With that, Gordon laughed as he puffed off as Stephanie felt slightly confused about Gordon’s attitude.

Outside of meeting Thomas, Stephanie did not suspect Henry or Gordon would act like that other than Thomas.

But she lightly shrugged to herself when she reminded herself that not all locomotives or humans are the same.

They soon stopped at Knapford as Stephanie shakily sighed in relief, noticing her grip on the seatbelt over her body had her knuckles turned white.

‘Oops,’ she lightly blushed as she released her grip on the seatbelt.

Sir Topham Hatt stepped out before walking around Winston as Winston said, “You forgot to put the brakes on, Sir.”

Stephanie glanced over to the side and noticed Winston’s brakes, reaching over with a hand and locking them, saying, “I got them.”

After she locked Winston’s brakes, Stephanie unbuckled herself and stepped out of Winston, as Sir Topham Hatt was slightly surprised to see that Stephanie locked the brakes for him.

“How did you know how to do that?” Sir Topham Hatt lightly asked.

“I watched you drive Winston, Sir,” Stephanie explained before lightly tapping the side of her head with a finger. “I have a good memory.”

“That is fantastic,” Sir Topham Hatt smiled before taking Stephanie’s hand. “Follow me. Let me show you my office.”

Stephanie nodded her head and followed Sir Topham Hatt, entering inside the station’s building.

Her curiosity was growing, feeling… safe for once.

While she was inside the station’s office with Sir Topham Hatt, Stephanie glanced around as Sir Topham Hatt sat down in his chair, looking at the paperwork.

There were pictures of what seemed to be Thomas, with several locomotives and in different countries.

A clock-like medal was on the windowsill that had the time stuck at three o’clock.

Another medal was on the windowsill next to the clock medal, and it has a golden pendant on it with a red ribbon, causing Stephanie to feel more curious.

“Uh, excuse me, Sir?” Stephanie turned around to Sir Topham Hatt to talk to him but paused when she noticed he was at work.

She sighed through her lips after noticing that Sir Topham Hatt was busy as he watched the workers work on the dented rails, scratching the back of her neck with one hand as she placed the other on her hip.

Half of her wanted to get Sir Topham Hatt’s attention to show her more around Sodor, but the other half of her felt like she wanted to be patient, to wait for him.

Stephanie waited for a few minutes before glancing over to the side with her eyes, noticing a familiar black with red lining passing by the window.

Perking, Stephanie smiled softly at herself and took several steps back before pausing when she felt nervous about getting him crossed.

“Uh, Sir?” Stephanie politely asked, causing him to glance up. “May I ask a question?”

“Of course,” Sir Topham Hatt nodded his head. “What is it?”

“C-Can I go meet Donald and Douglas?” Stephanie pointed with a finger towards the window, blushing slightly. “It’s… well…”

She did not want to sound rude to Sir Topham Hatt about being distracted by his work more than hers.

Understanding what she meant, Sir Topham Hatt said, “You may go with them. But please come back here to Knapford before lunchtime.”

Stephanie smiled softly and bowed to him, saying, “Thank you, Sir.”

Sir Topham Hatt tipped his cap to Stephanie for a moment before Stephanie exited the office to visit Donald and Douglas.

She opened the door and peered outside before noticing both Donald and Douglas on the site, chattering to each other in Gaelic.

“Donald!” Stephanie called them, causing them to stop chattering with each other. “Douglas! Good morning!”

They glanced over to see who called them by their names but noticed that it was Stephanie.

“Madainn mhath!” they both greeted back in Gaelic.

They paused when they remembered she did not understand Gaelic, but to their surprise, Stephanie said in Gaelic, “Ciamar a tha thu dhà?”

Glancing at each other for a moment, Donald responded, “Tha sinn le chèile a ’dèanamh gu math… ach ciamar a thuig thu Gàidhlig?”

“Dh’ionnsaich mi e bho aon de charaidean m ‘athair-altraim. Bha e na Albannach moiteil fhèin.” Stephanie explained in Gaelic, which impressed them both.

But, in the background, it confused one of the workers who was semi-listening to the conversation.

“Oh, thon’s excellent!” Donald remarked before asking, “Daes Sir Topham Hatt know thon ye are oot here?”

“Yes,” Stephanie nodded before blushing slightly. “Since he was busy, and I was curious about Sodor since the last time did not go as planned, he thought that-”

“He wantit us tae tak ye around, ay?” Douglas asked, interrupting Stephanie’s stammering.

“Dougie!” Donald lightly snapped. “Let the wee bairn talk!”

Stephanie chuckled softly and said, assuring the two before they could start an argument, “He’s right, Donald. I’m, uh, well…”

Her blush went into another shade, making herself feel like she was embarrassing herself.

“Och,” Douglas sighed as Donald looked slightly confused about why Stephanie kept blushing the whole time. “Why don’t ye ride wi’ Donnie? We juist finishit our jobs, sae, we have plenty o’ time tae show a bairn around Sodor.”

Stephanie looked slightly surprised by Douglas’s slight rush before staying still when Donald’s fireman stepped out of his cab, picking her up from the ground from underneath the armpits.

Since she did not weigh that much, it was easy for Donald’s fireman to pick her up.

“Ach, ye’re licht.” Donald’s fireman remarked, putting her against his chest as he walked back over to Donald.

“Hou licht?” Donald’s driver asked with confusion.

“Very!” he remarked. “Dinnae yer parents feit ye?”

Stephanie went silent after Donald’s fireman asked about her parents, which he understood, deciding not to ask further.

“Whit happened?” Douglas asked, noticing the silence from Stephanie.

“Nothin’.” Donald’s fireman responded, assuring the confused and concerned Douglas. “Touchy subject.”

He glanced down with slight confusion when Stephanie started shifting around slightly with Donald and Douglas whistling their whistles before puffing off as Stephanie wrapped her arms around one of Donald’s driver’s legs.

Instead of asking what is wrong, they continued down the line, as Donald said, “Tae brichten the mood a little, let’s visit a friend o’ mine from the Arlesdale railway.”

Stephanie perked slightly with curiosity, glancing up from behind Donald’s driver’s leg, feeling like she wanted to look out in the window, but since her fear of crashing seemed to cause her to stay put.

She hugged the driver’s leg as he did not move, only staying still as he turned valves and watched the heat pressure.

The ride was mostly silent, but Stephanie still felt silly for being a nervous wreck in front of Donald and Douglas, wanting to be brave like them.

But she only stayed silent as she listened to the noises coming from Donald, feeling like she was inside a boiler room.

After a few minutes passed, they both stopped at a light, and Stephanie felt like this was a perfect time and slowly released Donald’s driver’s leg.

“Whit are ye doing?” his driver asked, causing Stephanie to flinch and rehug his leg.

“Sorry,” Stephanie apologized. “I’m a little nervous about being inside a cab.”

“Ach,” Donald spoke, which she could not see because of how short she is. “Thare’s na reason tae apologize. Gin ye want tae dae something, juist dae it. But, speir permission first.”

Stephanie paused after Donald spoke before releasing his legs from hugging them during the ride.

She walked up to the cab door by the left-hand side and paused a little thoughtfully.

“Dae ye neit a lift?” Donald’s fireman asked.

“No,” Stephanie politely spoke, shaking her head side to side lightly. “I think I got this. But, thank you anyway.”

She gripped the sides of the door and stood on her tiptoes, looking through the window of Donald’s cab curiously, noticing Douglas by Donald.

“Oh, thare ye are.” Douglas chuckled. “How’s the ride inside ma brother’s cab?”

“Good,” Stephanie softly smiled. “Your brother, like you, are both excellent locomotives!”

At this moment, Donald’s, including Douglas’ cheeks, blushed from the compliment Stephanie said to them as the light turned green, allowing them to go.

Donald and Douglas whistled after the light turned green and continued puffing down the line.

Stephanie lightly chuckled to herself at the reaction from Douglas and Donald.

She moved back down from peeking over the door and hugged Donald’s driver’s legs.

Soon, they reached an unfamiliar station Stephanie had not seen before, causing Stephanie’s curiosity to grow a little.

Once Donald stopped, he noticed a small chartreuse yellow steam locomotive passing by.

The steam locomotive was not only painted in chartreuse yellow but with a red lining too. 

He has a brass dome, brass builder’s plates on the sides of his cab, red nameplates, with the name ‘Jock’ in gold writing mounted on each side of his boiler, and “ARLESDALE” written on the sides of his tender in yellow.

“Hey, Jock!” Donald greeted him with a whistle, causing him to glance over at him and smile.

Douglas did the same thing with his whistle to greet him too.

“Ah, Donald,” Jock, the name of the small yellow steam locomotive, smiled. “It’s good to see you again!”

Donald nodded as Stephanie peeked out of the window of her cab, the best she could but had trouble since she was only short.

But, somehow, Jock noticed her hands on the top of Donald’s cab door.

“Whose hands are those on your door?” he asked, gently nodding his body towards the hands.

Donald looked a little confused by the question from Jock, asking, “Whit hands?”

Douglas behind him rolled his eyes before speaking, “Dinnae ye remember Stephanie thon we pickit up for an adventure around?”

Donald looked surprised by the response from Douglas behind him before blushing slightly.

“Oh, richt!” Donald remembered as his driver opened the door of his cab as Stephanie moved her hands down. “Sorry aboot thon, Stephanie.”

“It’s okay, Donald,” Stephanie assured him as she stepped out of his cab.

After she had stepped out of Donald’s cab, she noticed Jock and smiled, cooing softly.

“Aw!” she remarked, which caused Jock to blush. “He’s cute!”

Right next to Jock was another miniature steam locomotive that was painted red with blue and yellow lining.

He has a brass dome, brass builder’s plates on the sides of his cab, red nameplates with the name ‘Mike’ in gold writing mounted on each side of his boiler, and has the same word “ARLESDALE” written on the sides of his tender in yellow.

He had an annoyed expression on his face as Stephanie remarked Jock as ‘cute.’

“Oh, sure!”‌ he sarcastically spoke, stopping by Jock as he had a slightly unamused expression on his face after his blush disappeared. “We are cute and all, making the passengers happy to see us!”

Stephanie flinched slightly from the tone of his voice before starting to panic slightly, stammering, “Oh, I am so sorry! I didn’t mean it like that. I like your basis. I didn’t mean to insult anyone.”

He raised an eyebrow after Stephanie stammered after he sarcastically talked about being called ‘cute’ as three more locomotives appeared.

The first miniature steam locomotive is painted green with a red and yellow lining. 

He has a brass dome, brass builder’s plates on the sides of his cab, red nameplates with the name ‘Rex’ in gold writing mounted on each side of his boiler, and has the word “ARLESDALE” written on the sides of his tender in yellow.

The second miniature steam locomotive is painted blue with a red and yellow lining. 

He has a brass dome, brass builder’s plates on each side of the cab, red nameplates with the name ‘Bert’ in gold writing mounted on each side of his boiler, and has the word “ARLESDALE” written on the sides of his tender in yellow.

The next locomotive was not only a miniature locomotive but a diesel locomotive too.

The miniature diesel locomotive is painted light gray with a red stripe around his body.

He has red nameplates with the name ‘Frank’ in gold on his sides.

“Oh, hello!” Stephanie greeted them with a friendly smile and a wave.

“Is this your driver’s daughter, Donald?” Jock asked as the other three looked at her with slightly confused expressions.

“Ach, na!” Chuckled Donald as his driver blushed slightly. “She’s Dowager Hatt’s visitor! Gin she wis, she wad have a Scottish accent than American.”

Stephanie’s cheeks blushed slightly with embarrassment, chuckling slightly.

“Well,” Jock spoke, moving forward slightly. “I’m Jock.”

He glanced over to the right and mentioned to the others, “And the red one next to me is Mike.”

Stephanie waved her hand towards him as he scoffed slightly and glanced away from her.

“And the green one next to Mike is Rex,” Jock continued introducing the rest, and Rex smiled gently.

“And the blue one next to Rex is Bert,” Jock introduced the next one as he smiled.

Stephanie waved to him before noticing the gray miniature diesel locomotive.

“And the gray diesel by Bert is Frank.” Jock finished as Frank huffed slightly. “What’s your name?”

“Stephanie,” Stephanie smiled. “Stephanie Nova Rose Allen.”

They whistled their whistles at Stephanie as Frank honked his horn, as Douglas behind Donald looked more impatient.

“Come on, Stephanie!” Beamed Douglas after the miniature locomotives honked and whistled. “A got somewhere else tae show ye!”

Stephanie turned towards Douglas with a slightly confused look on her face before shrugging, deciding to go along with the ride with him.

Donald looked slightly confused about Douglas’ sudden decision to take a turn, showing Stephanie around Sodor before looking irritated.

After whistling their whistles, they left Arlesburgh West and started heading further into Sodor.

Mike, Bert, Rex, Jock, and Frank honked and whistled in response as they left the place.

They went to the Little Western branch line, where Stephanie could see two steam locomotives waiting.

The first steam locomotive is painted in an apple-green color like Henry she had seen before but unlined.

There was a green safety valve cover and black wheels, with the number eight painted on each side of his cab in yellow.

But with a black background and a yellow border instead.

The second steam locomotive was painted in an apple-green color like the first one, except with the letters ‘GWR’ painted on each side of his tanks.

The number eleven is also painted on the sides of his cab in yellow.

When both noticed Douglas and Donald coming down the line, they both were confused.

But then there was trouble.

“Why is it thon it’s yer turn, whan it supposit tae be mine!” Snapped Donald as he moved forward, bumping into Douglas from behind.

Stephanie was startled when Donald bumped into Douglas, causing her to yelp quietly, wrapping her arms around his driver’s legs.

Luckily, her yelp alerted Douglas’ driver and noticed she was shaking like a leaf.

“Well, ye haed already usit up yer turn!” Douglas snapped back, ramming into Donald from behind.

Stephanie yelped again in startlement from the bumping as Douglas’ driver worked fast.

At the right moment, Douglas’s fireman opened the cab door on the right-hand side where no one could see it and gently placed Stephanie outside to be safe.

The first steam locomotive groaned slightly and moved forward towards them as Stephanie ran from the fight between the two arguing Scottish twins.

Stephanie went to the back of the second steam locomotives’ crates before noticing a brake van from behind.

The brake van is painted gray with “GW 56831” written on its side in white.

When the brake van noticed Stephanie with a slight expression on her face, looking like she was about to cry until he got an idea.

His brakeman stepped out from inside his cab and went down to the little girl as the two Scottish steam locomotives continued arguing in the background in Gaelic instead of English.

“THAT’S‌ ENOUGH!”‌ snapped a voice that made Stephanie flinch from the loud sound, almost on the verge of crying as she covered her ears with her hands, trembling like a leaf.

Before she could even start crying, Stephanie was picked up from underneath the armpits by the brakeman.

She was carried into the brake van’s cab before being placed down on a chair and had ear muffs over her ears.

It confused her slightly as she reached up to see what happened when the brake van’s brakeman shook his head no and made a sign language mention with his hands to keep the headphones on.

Understanding what the brakeman’s telling her, she nodded her head and kept the headphones on her head.

Since she could hear nothing through them, she could tell that the bumping sounds from Donald’s and Douglas’ buffers had stopped.

She did not feel like she should take her headphones off to hear if the yelling had stopped but kept them on just in case.

After a minute, the brake van’s brakeman came over to Stephanie and took the headphones off as she heard some distant steam locomotives leaving the area.

She guessed they were Donald and Douglas after that voice snapped at them.

“Hey, you can come out now, miss,” a voice softly spoke, perking Stephanie up slightly.

Gathering some of her courage, she stepped out of the brake van’s cab, but before stepping out of the brake van, the steam locomotive started to move!

“Ah, M-Mister Oliver, wait!” the voice called out again before the steam locomotive, named ‘Oliver,’ stopped, causing Stephanie to land on her bottom and out of sight.

After the steam locomotive named ‘Oliver’ stopped, the same voice that yelled at Donald and Douglas earlier asked, “What seems to be the problem, Toad?”

“Well,”‌ Toad, the name of the brake van, spoke as Stephanie stood up to her feet, revealing herself to the steam locomotive that she had seen before. “I found this little girl on the railroad.”

The apple-green steam locomotive looked surprised to see Stephanie as the brake van’s brakeman gently picked her up from in front of him and stepped off, placing her back down on the ground.

“Whose daughter does she belong to?” the apple-green steam locomotive asked, glancing over at Toad beside Stephanie.

“I don’t know,” Toad responded. “Maybe Douglas’ driver?”

“Uh,” Stephanie spoke, getting their attention as the steam locomotive in front of the brake van moved backward to see what was going on. “He’s not my father. I don’t have one, either.”

Immediately, everyone looked shocked after Stephanie revealed who her parents were.

“Does… Does Miss Dowager Hatt know this?” Toad asked as she glanced over at him.

Stephanie shook her head yes, before glancing away from him in shame.

“I told her everything.”‌ Stephanie sighed, glancing down at her hands as they shook with sadness. “I‌ think‌ I am a walking jinx on everyone I meet since they are always getting angry all the time…”

Stephanie felt a guilty twist in her stomach as she gently squeezed her left wrist with her hand.

Ever since she had arrived at Sodor and got out of the hospital, everything was either having no sense of direction or a crabby mood.

A pause came from everyone as Stephanie continued staring at her hands before Toad said, “You’re not a walking jinx, miss.”

Stephanie glanced up at him with a slightly confused and sad expression on her face.

“It’s just that Donald and Douglas sometimes argue a little too much about the little things each other does.” Toad assured before chuckling softly. “Sometimes even over people too.”

Stephanie chuckled slightly, too, feeling a bit cheerful from Toad.

“Sorry about them, though,” the first apple-green steam locomotive spoke. “Didn’t know you were sensitive about yelling.”

Stephanie’s chuckle soon turned into a slightly nervous laugh while rubbing the back of her neck.

“It’s okay,”‌ she sighed. “I’ve… experienced that too many times.”

A slightly confused expression appeared on everyone’s faces for a moment before Toad shook his body.

“Never mind about that,”‌ Toad spoke, smiling gently. “My name is Toad. What is your name, miss?”

“Stephanie,” Stephanie smiled softly, replacing the slightly saddened look on her face. “Stephanie Nova Rose Allen.”

“Pleased to meet you, Miss Stephanie,” Toad nodded, causing Stephanie to blush slightly.

“I’m Duck,” the first apple-green steam locomotive spoke as Stephanie turned towards him.

“Why you are named ‘Duck?’” Stephanie asked out of curiosity, raising an eyebrow as she lightly cocks her head to the side.

“Because of my ‘waddling,’” Duck chuckled before moving forward, showing why he was named that.

As he moved forward, his body gently rocked back and forth like a duck was walking.

After showing her why he was nicknamed ‘Duck,’ he moved back as Stephanie smiled.

“That’s cute!” she remarked, causing Duck to blush slightly from the remark. “Do you mind if I nickname you ‘Duckie?’”

Duck looked slightly surprised by the permission as the second apple-green steam locomotive snickered along with Toad.

He sighed softly and said, “No, I don’t mind being nicknamed ‘Duckie,’ Montague is my real name, too.”

Stephanie smiled more and said, “I‌ like the nickname ‘Duck’ than ‘Montague.’”

Duck smiled softly as the second apple-green steam locomotive said, clearing his throat, “And my name is Oliver, or you could nickname me ‘Oli.’”

Stephanie giggled softly and said, “I would like to nickname you ‘Oli.’”

Oliver softly chuckled before Stephanie asked, “May you two show me around the Island of Sodor? I don’t feel comfortable with Donald or Douglas since they both got angry at each other.”

Oliver and Duck glanced at each other for a moment, with slightly uneasy expressions on their faces.

Stephanie instantly noticed the expressions on their faces and looked slightly worried.

“You both don’t have enough time to show me around?” she worriedly asked.

Oliver and Duck nodded in response, glancing back at her after she asked them.

“That’s the problem,” Oliver spoke. “Donald and Douglas were the only two that had nothing to do.”

Stephanie glanced down at the ground with a slightly saddened expression on her face until Oliver said, “But I know just the right one that could show you around!”

She glanced back up at the two steam locomotives, asking, “Who is it?”

“Charlie!” Oliver smiled before puffing off after the whistle of his whistle.

Stephanie had a confused expression on her face and asked, glancing over at Duck, “Who’s ‘Charlie,’ Duckie?”

“Charlie’s a funny purple steamie, Stephanie,” Duck answered, chuckling lightly. “He sometimes works in the Knapford shunting yard but sometimes comes over here to help others.”

Stephanie was curious about ‘Charlie’ until Oliver came with the purple steam locomotive that Oliver mentioned.

The steam locomotive is painted violet with a light purple lining, brass fittings, and red wheels. 

He has the number fourteen painted in gold on his cab sides with brass nameplates.

The nameplates have the name ‘Charlie’ in white on the sides of his saddle tank.

Charlie, the name of the purple steam locomotive, glanced around for a moment before noticing Stephanie staring at him with curious eyes.

“Is this Stephanie, as you mentioned, Oliver?” Charlie asked, glancing over at him.

“Yes, this is her,”‌ nodded Oliver.

He switched to a different track to be in front of his crates.

“Can you take care of her?” Oliver asked.

Charlie paused for a moment, thinking to himself as he glanced back over at Stephanie, then over at Oliver.

“Sure!” nodded Charlie. “If I can take care of troublesome trucks, then I’ll take care of a child!”

Stephanie felt confused about the mention of ‘troublesome trucks,’ thinking she is troublesome as they are.

Oliver and Duck whistled their whistles as they left, as Stephanie looked slightly worried.

“Are you sure about that, mister?” she asked, turning to Charlie.

“Sure!” nodded Charlie.

The driver opened his cab door, and Stephanie walked over to the side.

“By the way,” Charlie spoke as his driver gently picked Stephanie up from underneath her armpits. “Is your name Stephanie?”

“Yes, that is my name.”‌ Stephanie nodded as she was placed back down on the floor of the cab. “Is your name Charlie?”

“Yep!”‌ Charlie nodded as he whistled his whistle. “That’s my name!”

He puffed along the rails as he exited out of the junction before asking, “Hey, Steph?‌ Which way do you want to go?”

Stephanie paused for a moment as she thought to herself, thinking of which way she wanted to go next.

She has been to the docks, even the Mainland docks, Arlesburgh West, and Knapford station.

Charlie noticed the long pause in Stephanie’s voice, so he got an idea to help Stephanie.

“I’ll take you to the docks, then!” Charlie smiled. “My friend Sunshine could show you around the Mainland too!”

Stephanie was about to say she had been there but stopped herself from saying it, thinking that if she said that to Charlie, she would sound like a brat to him.

Charlie puffed down to the docks where Stephanie could see Cranky, Carly, and Big Mickey.

They also noticed Stephanie inside Charlie’s cab, staring up at them with a curious expression.

“What are you doing, Charlie?” Cranky asked, sounding slightly confused and worried. “And why did you bring Stephanie with you?”

Charlie blinked a few times before blushing slightly with embarrassment as Stephanie facepalmed herself from her stupidity.

“Oh,” he chuckled. “I thought you didn’t know about Stephanie.”

“She came here yesterday, Charlie,” Carly spoke. “She was a little lost after some rude passenger pushed her away from Gordon’s coaches.”

Charlie slightly puffed as he had a bit of an annoyed expression on his face.

“That was rude of him!” he puffed before remembering what his idea was.‌ “Oh, is Sunshine here?”

“Nah,” Cranky answered. “He’s not here yet, but he will be.”

So, Charlie decided to wait for Sunshine to appear.

During that time, Charlie kept making jokes to Stephanie to keep her company and getting a good laugh from her from his jokes.

Even the troublesome trucks laugh about his jokes, too, that come into the docks from dockyard locomotives and others, irritating Cranky slightly.

As Stephanie and Charlie waited for Sunshine to come, Charlie was telling Stephanie some pirate jokes.

“Okay, why are pirates called pirates?”‌ Charlie asked as Stephanie thought to herself.

“I don’t know,” Stephanie shrugged. “Why are pirates called pirates?”

“Because they arrgh!”‌ Charlie joked before laughing.

Stephanie laughed too at his joke until hearing another person’s laugh.

When Stephanie looked, she was surprised to see Salty again, as he was pushing a flatbed underneath one of the cranes.

“That’s a good’un, Charlie!” he remarked before noticing Stephanie inside his cab. “Oh, ahoy Stephanie! ‘tis good t’ see ye again!”

“You too, Salty,” Stephanie nodded.

“Are ye lost again?” Salty asked, raising an eyebrow as the flatbed was being loaded.“

“No, not really.” Stephanie sighed, assuring the confused dockyard diesel. “Sir Topham Hatt knows about this, and I don’t know where Dowager Hatt went to. He allowed me to have a look around Sodor since he was busy. But, I was going to be with Donald and Douglas until they started arguing, and it made me nervous.”

Stephanie shuddered softly to herself as Salty and Charlie listened to her story.

“Then, Duckie-” Stephanie began before stopping when she heard a snort of laughter.

“‘Duckie?’” snorted Charlie.‌ “You nicknamed Duck, ‘Duckie?!’”

Salty was also trying not to laugh but only snickered slightly.

“What’s going on?” Cranky asked, noticing the slight laughter.

“Guess what?”‌ Charlie called Cranky while chuckling. “Stephanie nicknamed Duck ‘Duckie!’”

A slight snort of laughter came from Cranky as his cheeks blushed slightly, as there was some laughter from someone next to Charlie on the right-hand side of Salty.

It was from Porter, who is a dockyard steam locomotive that Stephanie met before.

Porter was chuckling for a moment as a light blush was on Stephanie’s cheeks about spilling Duck’s nickname she had come up for him.

“I think that’s a good nickname for him!” he chuckled.

“I agree, Porter,” chuckled Salty as they moved backwards.

Charlie giggled for a moment before noticing that Stephanie was quiet, maybe blushing a little.

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with Duck’s new nickname!” Charlie spoke, assuring Stephanie as she perked up a little. “It was only an unusual nickname for him in the first place!”

Stephanie’s blush went up a shade as a familiar red cap went by the docks before stopping.

“Ooh!” exclaimed Charlie. “That must be Sunshine!”

Charlie whistled his whistle as he moved backward slightly, calling out, “Sunshine! Hey, Sunshine!”

On the other side of the docks, Sunshine perked up a little after Charlie called out his name before smiling.

“Ah, good to see ya again, Charlie!” Sunshine beamed. “Are there any jokes for me to hear?”

“Nah, not really!” called Charlie. “There’s someone who you might want to take around!”

A confused expression appeared on Sunshine’s face, replacing his smile.

“Who is it?” he asked, glancing at the docks for anyone.

“Her name is Stephanie!” Charlie beamed.

“Stephanie?” Sunshine blinked. “What is she doin’ here at this time of day?”

Charlie blinked with a slight surprise expression on his face as his driver picked Stephanie up and opened his cab door.

“You know her, too?” Charlie asked as Sunshine nodded.

“Of course!” Sunshine exclaimed as Charlie’s driver placed her down on the ground. “She was once lost and accidentally stumbled upon Ten Cents when he was comin’ over here to drop off some crates!”

‘So that’s what Ten Cents was doing?’ Stephanie thought to herself.

She smiled a little as Charlie’s driver gently patted her head and went back into Charlie’s cab.

After Charlie’s driver had gone back into Charlie’s cab, Charlie asked, “Sunshine, could you show Stephanie around the docks?”

“Me?” Sunshine asked.

“Yes, you!” nodded Charlie. “She had not seen other tugboats before too!”

Sunshine understood what he meant and nodded as Stephanie felt more curious about meeting other tugboats around the docks.

“Okay,” Sunshine nodded before glancing over at Stephanie. “Would you like to see more of my friends?”

Stephanie paused for a moment in confusion about who Sunshine’s friends are before nodding her head.

“Alright,” he beamed. “Welcome aboard, Ms. Allen!”

Stephanie chuckled as Sunshine’s driver came out and gently reached up to her with both hands.

“Please,” Stephanie softly smiled as she was picked up from the docks. “‘Ms. Allen’ was my momma. Call me, Stephanie.”

Sunshine chuckled as his driver placed him down on the deck and went back into the wheelhouse before leaving the docks with a whistle of his whistle.

Charlie did the same thing to Sunshine before leaving the docks.

“Be really careful with her, Sunshine!” Big Mickey had called him before he left.

Sunshine whistled Big Mickey to let him know he was being careful with her, as Big Mickey sighed in the background.

After he had left the docks, he went over to Beresford, who noticed Stephanie.

“Oh, I see you brought Stephanie with you, Sunshine,” Beresford remarked.

“Why do I have a feelin’ that you met everyone?” Sunshine sighed, glancing down at Stephanie, whose cheeks were blushing slightly with embarrassment.

“She did not meet everyone, Sunshine,” Beresford added. “She hadn’t met Theodore yet.”

Sunshine then remembered who else he was going to meet.

“Oh!” He smiled before continuing on his way after he had whistled his whistle. “Thanks, Beresford!”

“Anytime!” Beresford beamed before continuing to do his work.

Sunshine continued down the side of the Mainland’s docks when Stephanie noticed a Navy boat crossing across from where Sunshine was heading down before disappearing.

But, before that Navy tugboat disappeared, Stephanie could see that it was painted blue-gray all over with the name ‘Bluenose’ printed on its sides in white.

He wore a white sailor’s cap on top of his head and had a stern expression on his face.

“Who was that guy?” Stephanie asked, raising an eyebrow with curiosity and confusion.

“That was Captain Bluenose.” Sunshine groaned with a slightly irritated tone in his voice. “He’s a bit of annoyin’, as he bosses everyone around when he encounters them. It’s best to be careful with him since he has a short temper too.”

Stephanie nodded her head, and Sunshine proceeded down the docks before noticing a familiar yellow tugboat near the docks, who was wearing a red baseball cap on his head.

He was coming further into the dockyard after pushing a boat into the harbor.

“‘Ey!” Sunshine called as he whistled his whistle at him. “Theo!”

Theo, the yellow and black tugboat, heard Sunshine calling out his name and smiled when he came by his side.

“Hello, Sunshine!” He greeted her before noticing Stephanie on Sunshine’s deck, staring up at him with a curious look. “Where did you find her?”

“Oh, her?” Sunshine smiled, revealing his front tooth. “She was just visitin’ since she was Ms. Dowager Hatt’s visitor.”

Theo glanced back down at Stephanie after Sunshine explained to him and gave her a friendly smile.

“Hello,” he greeted. “My name is Theodore, but you can nickname me ‘Theo,’ like Sunshine.”

Sunshine blushed slightly, and Stephanie giggled.

“Pleased to meet you, Theo!” she beamed while waving a hand towards him. “My name is Stephanie, Stephanie Nova Rose Allen! You can nickname me Steph or Stephanie if you want, Theo.”

Theodore whistled his whistle in response to Stephanie’s greeting as Stephanie smiled more.

Then, a low but loud whistle came from the harbor, taking everyone’s attention as a voice called out after that, “ALL CLEAR!”

“Oh, that must be Foduck!” beamed Theodore before whistling his whistle. “Hey, Foduck!”

Another yellow tugboat came into view and greeted both Theodore and Sunshine without noticing Stephanie on the deck.

He wears a red fire hat and is equipped with extra bright spotlights, a rotating transceiver, and a fire hose.

“Hello, Theodore.” Foduck nodded. “Hello, Sunshine. Are there any problems?”

“No, not really,” Sunshine answered. “But, there is someone you want ta meet!”

From underneath Foduck’s fire helmet he is wearing, he raises an eyebrow in confusion.

“Who is it?” he asked.

Stephanie stood up from sitting on Sunshine’s deck for Foduck to have a look at her.

Since she had encountered talking vehicles for a while, it had been usual for her to feel comfortable talking to them.

As she stood up to her feet to see Foduck, Foduck looked surprised to see Stephanie standing on Sunshine’s deck with no parents.

“Uh, Sunshine?” Foduck spoke, glancing back up at Sunshine as he glanced over at Foduck with a slightly confused expression on his face. “Where are her parents?”

Sunshine bit the bottom of his lip and answered, “She doesn’t have any of them. Just a foster-father.”

Without them noticing, Stephanie glanced down at the deck of Sunshine, saddened a little by the word ‘father.’

“Where is he?” Foduck asked, raising an eyebrow again.

“He’s somewhere ‘round America looking for her.” Sunshine sighed. “But we hope he comes here any minute to pick her up before somethin’ bad happens to her.”

Stephanie’s right arm started trembling slightly from a memory that popped into her head.

But she ignored it and quietly forced her arm to stop trembling by gripping her wrist tightly.

“Okay,” nodded Foduck before looking a little stern towards Sunshine. “But why are you bringing her around the docks without Sir Topham Hatt or the Dispatcher noticing?”

“Sir Topham Hatt knows about this,” Stephanie answered, rubbing the back of her neck gently. “I just let him know I am on an adventure around Sodor because I have never been here before. He and Dowager Hatt wanted me to be a little more comfortable around here since there are anthropomorphic vehicles around here.”

Confused expressions appeared on Sunshine and Foduck’s faces.

“There’s no an-ant-” Sunshine spoke before stammering a little on the word Stephanie said.

“Anthropomorphic,” Foduck gently corrected. “It’s where any objects or vehicles like us can take or act like humans.”

“Thanks, Foduck!” he beamed before glancing back over at Stephanie. “There’s no talkin’ tug boats or tank engines where you lived?”

Stephanie honestly shook her head, yes, answering Foduck’s question.

“That’s the truth,” she sighed. “Excuse me, but I never saw or heard anything like that before I even came to Sodor in the first place.”

Foduck and Sunshine glanced over at each other for a moment before Sunshine thought to himself for a moment.

“Well, this is a good idea to meet everyone, then!” Foduck smiled before whistling his whistle.

It was loud as Stephanie jolted from the sound but did not cover her ears to make Foduck feel regretful about his whistle.

She winced a little but not too much to let him notice.

“You’re all clear, Sunshine!” Foduck smiled as he went by them. “Have a nice day, too!”

“You too!” Sunshine smiled as he continued on his way.

After meeting Foduck, Sunshine went across Top Hat, who was helping Warrior with the garbage.

“Why do I have to help you?” Top Hat groaned.

“Because Captain Star assigned you to it.” Warrior answered. “And oh, hello, Sunshine!”

“Hello, guys!” Sunshine greeted him as he passed them. “Have a nice day!”

Top Hat groaned in the background after Sunshine left, as Stephanie looked a little curious.

Of course, she had met self-centered people, and it was not unusual to see someone like that.

While Sunshine reached the Star Tugs’s docks, Stephanie saw the same blue and white megaphone pop out of the window and call down to Sunshine.

“ _ I see you have picked up a common visitor, Sunshine. _ ” Captain Star’s voice spoke through it.

“Ah, well,” Sunshine spoke, blushing slightly with embarrassment. “Charlie gave me Stephanie to have a look around the docks.”

“ _ As understood from the call from the docks. _ ” Captain Star answered. “ _ I’m not usually keen on giving any Star Tugs some breaks after working, but since you have a visitor with you, I could give you a break for now until you finished showing… _ ”

He drifted off slightly without remembering her name, and Stephanie said, helping him, “Stephanie.”

“ _ Oh, yes, Stephanie, _ ” he nodded. “ _ Thank you. Sometimes my memory is not that great. _ ”

“It’s okay!” Stephanie beamed, assuring Captain Star. “Sometimes, I can’t remember some things, but I think we are even.”

“ _ I suppose you are right, _ ” Captain Star nodded. “ _ Sunshine, after you show Stephanie around the docks, you are going to drop her off back at the same docks where Charlie gave her to you and come back here for the next task. _ ”

“Yes, sir!” Sunshine nodded before backing out of the docks.

“ _ Remember to be careful with her, too, Sunshine! _ ” Captain Star warned before disappearing into the building.

Stephanie was slightly confused about the kindness around Sodor as Sunshine continued around the docks.

He turned the corner, and Stephanie noticed another yellow tugboat that looked almost like Foduck and Theodore.

Except this tugboat had a turquoise fishing hat on top of her head.

“That’s Emily,” Sunshine smiled before whistling his whistle at her. “Hello, Emily!”

Emily, the tugboat wearing the turquoise fishing hat, glanced over to the side and noticed Sunshine coming up to her.

She whistled back in response to his whistle.

“Hello, Sunshine!”‌ she greeted him before noticing Stephanie on his deck. “Who’s she? And where are her parents?”

“Oh, this is Stephanie,” Sunshine introduced Stephanie as she waved towards Emily with a friendly smile. “She only has an adopted father who’s in America, but we are waiting until he comes to Sodor to pick her up.”

“Then, what is she doing on your deck?” Emily asked again.

“She is having a look around Sodor, so she would not get lost like before,” Sunshine answered before noticing an emerald steam locomotive pulling up on the docks. “Hello, Emily!”

“I’m here.” Emily, the tugboat, answered.

“No, not you, Emily,” chuckled Sunshine before glancing back over at the emerald steam locomotive. “That Emily.”

Emily, the tugboat, glanced over to the docks and noticed the steam locomotive coming up close.

The steam locomotive is painted emerald-green with yellow lining and brass fittings.

She has chocolate-colored running-boards, and her buffers were silver.

Emily, the tugboat, whistled her whistle towards her.

“Hello, Emily!” she beamed.

“Hello to you, too, um, Emily,” Emily, the emerald steam locomotive, responded, pausing a little before chuckling.

Emily, the tugboat, chuckled slightly too when Stephanie spoke up from Sunshine’s deck, “Maybe one of you should be nicknamed Emi?”

Both Emilys glanced over at Stephanie for a moment before at each other.

“I like that idea!” Emily, the emerald steam locomotive, grinned before glancing over at Stephanie. “I think I’ll be nicknamed Emi.”

Stephanie blushed slightly from the response Emily, the emerald steam locomotive, said to her, as Emily, the tugboat, chuckled softly.

“Who is she, though, Sunshine?” Emily, the emerald steam locomotive, asked. “Where are her parents?”

Sunshine sighed and rolled his eyes with an unamused expression on his face.

‘Here we go again,’ he groaned to himself.

But before he could repeat what he had said to Foduck and the others, Stephanie gently responded, “I don’t have any parents, and… my foster-father will come here on any day of this month to pick me up.”

Sunshine and both Emilys noticed the pause in Stephanie’s sentence but ignored it.

“Anyway,” Sunshine spoke before continuing on his way. “It was nice to meet you two, but I have to go and meet other people for Stephanie.”

Both Emilys nodded and whistled their whistles to Sunshine’s before leaving their spots.

Stephanie, however, was looking at her right hand as it trembled slightly from something.

But Stephanie gripped her hand tightly into a fist, stopping the shaking.

Sunshine continued down the docks until seeing Captain Bluenose coming towards where he was, seeing him going down the way he was turning.

“Oh, cripes.” he groaned.

“Oi, you!”‌ Captain Bluenose snapped, startling Stephanie slightly as she jolted from the tone of his voice. “Where do you think you’re goin’? Wanderin’ around with no orders from your commander is not a ‘job’ to do.”

Stephanie’s body started shaking as she continued listening to the conversation between the two. 

Her anxiety was kicking up again as memories of someone like him popped into her mind, causing her muscles to freeze up.

“I was just-” Sunshine stammered before Captain Bluenose interrupted him with another snap.

“No stammerin’,” He growled before noticing Stephanie on his deck, who was too close to the rails. “What are you doin’ with that little urchin on your deck?!”

Stephanie froze when he saw her on Sunshine’s deck, causing her face to pale with fear.

She could not move or do anything or hide from him as she stared at him with fear.

Sunshine was about to say something else when Captain Bluenose bumped into him again and caused her to jump.

“Since she has no rights to be on your deck, I’ll take her back to the docks where her parents would pick her up,” he growled as Stephanie whimpered slightly in fear.

“Wait, Captain!” exclaimed Sunshine before being bumped by something behind him. “Oof!”

The bump caused Stephanie to accidentally fall off of Sunshine’s deck and onto Captain Bluenose’s.

The collision onto the metal deck was harsh, and it caused her to scrape her hands across it, getting the bandages off and opening the almost healing scratches.

It was very different from the pavement, but Stephanie had some splinters in her hands.

Yet again, Stephanie paid no attention to the pain in her palms and looked terrified.

“Hey!”‌ a voice snapped from behind Sunshine. “Watch where you are goin’!”

He was smashed in the middle between Captain Bluenose and someone else behind him.

Stephanie was past scared, but she was terrified of what a mess she got herself into.

She felt like a toy that was in a tug-a-war between two people who wanted to play with her next at the same time.

She wanted to cover her ears and eyes to get this over with, but Captain Bluenose was pulling away from Sunshine and the guy behind him as he was trying to reason with him.

Stephanie fell to her side as her legs became wobbly, colliding her head on the ground with a solid thunk.

It was another Z-Stack tugboat that had accidentally bumped into Sunshine.

It caused him to block the way through the docks as more piled up behind that tug.

He was angry with Sunshine and yelling at him, as Sunshine was trying to tell him that Captain Bluenose had bumped into him, without noticing that Stephanie had accidentally fallen off of his deck and onto his.

Once Captain Bluenose was out from the mess he had made, he started heading away from the docks and moving back to Sodor.

On the way, he kept yelling at a few tugboats that had passed by him.

First, he yelled at Hank, another yellow tugboat that wears a blue toque on top of his head.

He took no notice of Stephanie on his deck after he had yelled at him before leaving, as Hank had an irritated look on his face.

He yelled at George, another yellow tugboat that wore a purple baseball cap that was turned backwards on his head.

George attempted to yell back at Captain Bluenose for yelling at him but did not have the time to do it and went off in a huff.

He, too, took no notice of Stephanie on Captain Bluenose’s deck, who was trembling like a leaf and trying not to cry.

After he finished yelling at everyone he came across, he finally reached a different dock that Stephanie had never seen before.

And came across a large crane that she had never seen before, either.

The crane looked almost like Beresford, except taller than him and has a female’s face instead of a male’s.

She is painted in a warm rose color with white stripes and has hazard stripes like Beresford.

“Oh, C-Captain Bluenose!”‌ she stammered, noticing him. “Wh-What are you doing here?”

“I came here to drop off something,” Captain Bluenose growled before glancing over at the kid who was trembling like a leaf and staring back at him with fear. “I want you to keep a close eye on it and wait until the parents come here, so I can file a report on her for attempting to hitch a ride on a tugboat.”

She looked slightly confused as she stared at the young child for a moment before Captain Bluenose snapped, “Did you hear me?!”

Stephanie flinched again from his snapping, covering her ears with her hands in fear, as they were a little sore from all the yelling and loud whistling.

“Oh, y-yes, sir!”‌ she stammered before moving her hook down and gently picking the child up and into the air.

After she had been picked up off of his deck, Captain Bluenose got distracted by yelling at a random tugboat that was pushing a ship in the harbor, and the crane accidentally placed her down onto a semi-empty truck filled with crates.

Once she was placed into the truck, she went back to Captain Bluenose and watched him yelling at the tugboat.

Then there was trouble. 

The truck she was inside started to pull away slowly after a steam locomotive’s whistle blew before exiting out of the docks.

Stephanie wanted to call out to the crane before she was about to exit out of the docks when she remembered Captain Bluenose’s yelling and stopped herself, feeling too scared to even call out to her.

Once she was out into the opening, Stephanie softly sniffed before starting to cry as she curled into a ball to comfort herself. 

She cried to herself quietly while alone in a silent truck, with no one to comfort her.

She feared Captain Bluenose, who kidnapped her from Sunshine, wanting to see him and the other tugs again to be comforted.

After a while had passed as she softly cried to herself, she felt a gentle tilt of the truck’s ground, feeling slightly confused about where she was heading to.

Sitting up slightly from being curled into a ball, she noticed that the truck she is sitting inside that is being pulled by a steam locomotive was climbing up a hill.

At the top of the hill was a magnificent castle.

She was surprised to see the castle at the top of the hill as the steam locomotive continued climbing up to the top, which felt slow for Stephanie.

Stephanie did not mind and enjoyed the ride that oddly calmed her down gently from her crying.

Once the steam locomotive reached up at the top of the hill, she could see the castle and was amazed at how beautiful it was, feeling like she was sent back into time.

The steam locomotive slowly entered the entrance, and Stephanie immediately ducked down over the side of the truck, feeling ashamed and scared of encountering someone short-tempered and rude like Captain Bluenose, who had kidnapped her from Sunshine.

When the steam locomotive stopped, an old and wise voice softly mumbled, “Weird, I don’t think Sherri added a heavy crate into one of the trucks…”

Mentally, Stephanie glanced down at her body at the thought of her weight, understanding she does not weigh that much compared to other children.

The same voice then said, speaking to someone else that came up to his side, “Hey, Stephen?‌ Did the Earl of Sodor tell us we had a heavy crate filled with something important?”

“Not what I think of,”‌ another elder’s voice answered, sounding a little different to the other one. “Let my friends have a look at what you have.”

Stephanie froze as she stayed where she was, mentally praying to herself that this person was better than Captain Bluenose she had met before.

A shadow loomed over Stephanie as she stayed where she was, terrified to move.

“Bless me,” a voice spoke, sounding slightly surprised. “Look at what Sherri dropped into your truck, Glynn.”

Two hands reached over to her body and gently picked her up from inside the truck and behind the crates.

She recognized the same blue uniform as a steam locomotive driver, calming her down a little, but she was still scared and trembling like a leaf.

He started walking towards the front of the line of trucks where the steam locomotive is.

The other, who was a fireman, followed behind him.

“What did Sherri drop?” Glynn, the voice of the steam locomotive, asked before softly gasping when he saw Stephanie. “Bust my buffers!”

From the exclamation the steam locomotive made, Stephanie gathered some of her courage but hesitated a little.

After a moment, she glanced over her shoulder to see who exclaimed after seeing her.

The steam locomotive was not like any steam locomotives she saw but looked almost like a coffee pot.

The coffee pot locomotive is painted red and has gold boiler bands.

He has a gray steam space cap and a funnel with a brass funnel top.

He has brass control caps and brass nameplates with the name ‘Glynn’ on it.

The number one is painted yellow underneath his nameplates.

There is a second steam locomotive, too, except it looks more different from the coffee pot locomotive.

The steam locomotive is painted golden-yellow and black.

He carries gold nameplates reading ‘Rocket’ on each side of his boiler, and his domes, whistle, exhaust pipes, and boiler bands are painted bronze.

The funnel on top of him is painted white with gold on the tips.

“Wh-who’s daughter does she belong to?” the red coffee pot locomotive asked as the driver and fireman shrugged in response.

Even the guests and the ‘Rocket’s’ driver and fireman shrugged their shoulders too.

“What is going on?”‌ a voice asked as Stephanie flinched slightly from the tone.

She glanced over and saw another elder except a human instead of a steam locomotive.

He has a white beard with hair and steel-blue eye color with fair skin.

He wore a black dress jacket over a red-patterned waistcoat, white shirt, and blue ascot, with gray trousers and black boots.

When he noticed Stephanie in the driver’s arms, he instantly recognized her.

“Is that Stephanie?” he questioned, walking over to the driver.

“You know her?” ‘Rocket’ asked, sounding a little confused.

“‘Know her?’” he repeated as he raised an eyebrow. “Sir Topham Hatt told me about her over the phone. I’m surprised you brought her here, Glynn!”

“I didn’t see her when I was getting some crates from the docks.” Glynn, the name of the red coffee pot steam locomotive, spoke. “But, I think Sherri accidentally picked her up from the cruise ships!”

“Ooh, her parents are going to be mad about that.”‌ groaned ‘Rocket.’

“Stephanie does not have any parents,” he spoke, surprising the two locomotives. “She only has a foster-father in America and is coming over to Sodor to pick her up.”

Stephanie was a little saddened as she curled close to the driver’s chest, still shaking like a leaf.

Gently, the elderly man reached over to her with his hand and felt her arm, noticing she was shaking.

Not only that, but her hands were also bleeding slightly from the scrapes.

That made everyone look worried about her from the look of the injuries on her hands.

“What happened to you?” he asked, noticing her trembling from underneath the touch of his hand.

“Did you meet Diesel 10?” ‘Rocket’ asked, frowning a little.

Stephanie started crying a little and shook her head no, curling more in the driver’s arms.

“I-I-I…” she stammered as she cried between words, until flinching when she heard Captain Bluenose’s whistle in the distance, as her trembling went up a notch in the driver’s arms.

They glanced over at the other side of the wall of the castle, instantly noticing what happened.

“You met Bluenose?!” exclaimed a voice, perking Stephanie. “Is that what happened?”

Glancing over to see who it was, she noticed a wooden box-shaped steam locomotive entering inside the castle, with a slightly worried expression on his face.

The wooden steam locomotive is painted brown with gray side plates and cowcatchers, with the number seven on the sides.

“Ah, Toby.”‌ the elderly man spoke. “Did you go to the docks where Sherri is?”

“Yes, and she stammered something about Captain Bluenose coming over to her with a little girl he had to ‘capture’ from Sunshine for ‘trespassing’ and making him ‘avoid’ his work.” Toby, the name of the steam locomotive, explained.

A solemn expression replaced the elder’s slight concern before moving his hand away from Stephanie.

Toby noticed the little girl in his arms and her slightly bleeding hands.

He slightly paled when he noticed the blood coming from her palms but looked utterly shocked at the state she was in.

“She has to be her, is she?” Toby softly asked.

Everyone nodded their heads, answering Toby’s question.

The elder was quiet for a moment after Toby, and the others realized that the little girl in ‘Rocket’s’ arms is, in fact, the girl Captain Bluenose had taken.

“Excuse me for a moment,” he spoke before walking over to the castle and entering inside.

After he left, Stephanie was still trembling and sobbing as Toby looked more worried about her.

“Did he do that to her?” Glynn asked.

“That’s what Sherri stammered in a tizzy while looking for her.” Toby nodded. “But, I didn’t expect her to place her into your trucks, Glynn.”

“I agree,” nodded ‘Rocket.’ “But what are we going to do about her? She had a bad encounter with him.”

All three paused for a moment while thinking to themselves, as Stephanie softly groaned to herself as she placed her head against the driver’s chest in shame, feeling like the day had gone from good to fearful, then to worse.

Everyone thought to themselves for a moment before the elderly man came out of the castle before glancing over at Stephanie, who was still in the driver’s arms, trembling and crying.

“Why don’t you stay in the castle for the day?” he asked, referring to the castle.

Stephanie hesitated for a moment, feeling slightly guilty for entering the castle without Sir Topham Hatt’s permission.

He noticed her expression behind the tears and said,‌ “Do not worry about that either. I’ll let Sir Topham Hatt know.”

Stephanie mentally sighed in relief from the assuring, then asked, as the driver gave her to him in his arms, “What is your name, Sir?”

“Sir Robert Norramby,” he answered as he walked to the castle’s entrance. “Or, you might call me the Earl of Sodor.”

The driver and fireman went back to ‘Rocket,’ and they both continued with their work.

When he entered the castle, Stephanie was distantly amazed at how beautiful the inside looked.

“What does the word ‘Earl’ mean?” she curiously asked before mentally wincing to herself from asking the question.

She felt like that question was stupid to him.

“‘Earl’ means a British nobleman ranked above a viscount and below a marquess.” Sir Robert Norramby explained to her, with no signs of annoyance.

Stephanie blinked a few times with curiosity before smiling softly, feeling a little safer in the castle than fearing Captain Bluenose she had encountered before.

He entered the room and gently placed Stephanie down on top of a medic’s bed, softly cushioned underneath her skinny weight.

Sir Robert Norramby then walked up to the cabinet and opened it, taking out some hydrogen peroxide, cotton balls, and band-aids.

After he had collected the items from the cabinet and closed it, he walked back towards Stephanie.

She was staring down at her hands as they were bleeding slightly from the injuries she had yesterday.

He sat down on a chair in front of her and near the bed.

It caused her to look up from her hands at him.

He placed the items down on the table next to the bed as Stephanie watched him with slight curiosity.

Sir Robert Norramby opened the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and took a cotton ball out from the bag he took down from the cabinets.

He soaked it halfway before closing the lid and placing it back on the table next to him.

Once the cotton ball was halfway soaked with hydrogen peroxide, Sir Robert Norramby politely asked Stephanie, “May you please give me one of your hands?”

Stephanie hesitated for a moment after he politely had asked for her hand but sighed and gave him her right hand, which had more scratches than her left.

Being gentle, Sir Robert Norramby dabbed her palm with the hydrogen peroxide-soaked cotton ball as Stephanie winced a little from the slight stinging feeling every time it touched her.

But it did not hurt her deeply that she cried out in pain from it.

It seemed like she was used to it every time.

After Sir Robert Norramby finished with her right hand, he placed the cotton ball down beside the table and started taking out the band-aids from the box in his hand.

Stephanie patiently kept her hand out for him to place the band-aids on the wounds but had a slightly confused expression on her face.

The band-aids he placed on her hands were so cute to Stephanie that it caused her to smile slightly, feeling better that she is in good hands now.

Once Stephanie’s right hand was covered in band-aids and cleaned up from the blood and slight dirt, he moved on the next.

He repeated the same thing to it, wiping the blood and dirt off with the hydrogen peroxide-soaked cotton ball in his hand, and placed band-aids over her wounds once they were cleaned up.

After the last band-aid was placed on her left hand, Stephanie curiously stared at her band-aid-covered hands.

He stood up from his chair and placed the items back into the cabinet.

Sir Robert Norramby even threw the blood-soaked cotton ball into the trash.

After he had cleaned up from tending Stephanie’s injuries, he noticed she was looking at the band-aids on her hands he placed on.

“Is there something wrong with the band-aids?” Sir Robert Norramby curiously asked.

Stephanie glanced up at him from her hands and answered, “There’s nothing wrong about them. It’s just that… I was never mended before from my injuries.”

A slightly confused expression appeared on his face after Stephanie honestly answered his question, sitting back down on the chair in front of her.

“Why on earth?” he asked, cocking his head slightly to the side. “Have you been taken care of before?”

Stephanie sadly shook her head no and moved her hands close to her body.

“My… foster-father never usually cares about me that much,” Stephanie sighed. “He is usually busy with something else or someone else, and I have to take care of myself.”

A slightly concerned expression replaced his confusion as Stephanie was distracted by the band-aids on her hands that he placed on her wounds.

“Alright,” Sir Robert Norramby nodded before standing back up from the chair he was sitting on again. “Let me ask the cooks in the kitchen to make you some lunch. I’ll call Sir Topham Hatt to let him know you are going to stay here for a while.”

Stephanie mentally felt confused about the kindness around her but nodded her head in silence.

After she nodded her head, Sir Robert Norramby gently said to Stephanie before he walked over to the phone in a different room, “Why don’t you have a look around the castle with one of my locomotives in the meantime?”

At first, Stephanie wanted to say no and say she is perfectly okay sitting on the medical bed but stopped herself from saying that and silently nodded her head again.

Sir Robert Norramby nodded his head again and left the room as Stephanie sat there for a moment, thinking to herself.

She shuddered slightly to herself at the thought of Captain Bluenose, feeling terrorized if she confronted him again.

Stephanie does not want to be taken to the docks by Sir Robert Norramby’s steam locomotives.

But she wanted to see more steam locomotives again to assure herself that not all machines are mean like him.

So, gathering her courage, she stepped off the bed she was placed onto and walked towards the door.

Once she was close, Stephanie opened it gently and peered out through the crack.

There was no one in the castle’s hall, but she could see some tapestries decorated on the walls.

Beautiful carpet laid on the floor of the castle as there were many empty armors of knights standing at each corner of the hallway, looking like statues that were frozen in time.

Distant voices echoed through the hallway, along with the sounds of footsteps walking around.

From behind the thick brick walls, she could even hear the loud puffing of the moving steam locomotives.

Stephanie stepped out of the room she was inside to have her wounds on her hands mended from the rough impact she had with Captain Bluenose’s metal deck and started wandering to the front of the castle to go outside.

Sometimes, she would go the wrong way and accidentally enter a different room than the other one she was inside before.

In a couple of rooms, she could see swords, medieval coins, and other medieval objects sealed behind thick glass containers that impressed her.

After entering the wrong area, she would make a u-turn and walk somewhere else.

She would even remember the room she had entered, too.

Stephanie got lost a few times through the castle each time but eventually reached the entrance.

Even though she had finally reached the entrance, she felt worried about how the visitors and the locomotives would react to seeing her step out from the castle without an adult?

She bit the bottom of her lip nervously, thinking to herself about what their reaction would be.

They would be confused and worried about her, asking about where her parents are.

Usually, they would demand Stephanie to go back into her room to stay there to be safe.

Although she wanted to stay outside to have a look around and not feel trapped.

Not only that, but she also does not want to be locked away again. 

Remembering scenes from what happened in her past, she panicked a little from her thoughts and pulled her hand away from the doorknob, feeling slightly scared.

But she gathered her courage again and opened the door of the castle, poking her head out slightly.

Once she had poked her head out of the door, she could see there was no swarm of visitors asking her how she was and where her parents were but did not know where the locomotives were.

After taking a peek out, she slowly inched herself out from the door and closed it behind her back gently.

“Why hello there!” a voice suddenly greeted her, causing her to flinch.

She glanced around for the source of the voice after she jolted when something puffed up beside her, causing her to look in front.

It was one of the older generation steam locomotives she had seen.

And it was the same red coffee pot.

Stephanie felt her heart skip a beat when she saw him, frantically wanting to come up with apologies for worrying him when she came to the castle.

Somehow, he noticed the slightly panicked expression on her face when she saw him approach her, speaking to her while he assured her, “Ah, do not worry. I’m not a bad person, unlike him, who you met.”

He groaned slightly under his breath as Stephanie raised an eyebrow curiously.

“I always hated it when he came by the docks to talk to Sherri,” he growled slightly. “Always making others feel be or crossed and humiliated by him.”

Stephanie felt sorry for him having to meet him every time he comes to the docks to pick up some crates.

“I’m… sorry about that, mister?” Stephanie spoke before sounding confused at the end of her sentence, pausing a little while mentioning him with a hand for his name.

“Glynn,” he answered. “Glynn is my name.”

“Mister Glynn,” Stephanie smiled before he chuckled, confusing Stephanie a little.

“No, just Glynn,” he softly smiled before the other ‘old-fashioned’ steam locomotive appeared. “And this is my friend, Stephen.”

He whistled his whistle towards Stephanie as she shyly waved her hand towards him.

“I… honestly thought his name was ‘Rocket,’” Stephanie spoke before slightly blushing while rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.

Both older steam locomotives laughed softly as Stephanie’s blush went another shade of embarrassment.

“That’s my nickname!” Stephen chuckled. “They nicknamed me ‘Rocket’ back then because I used to be faster than my other friends! I always beat them in the Rainhill Trials.”

Stephanie perked a little from being slightly embarrassed and glanced over at Glynn.

“What about you?” she asked, mentioning him with one hand.

“Well,” he began as he thought to himself. “My nickname was ‘coffee pot,’ because I looked like a coffee pot from the design that Sir Topham Hatt made back then in the good old times.”

A slight surprise expression replaced Stephanie’s shyness, and she asked, sounding a little more curious, “Sir Topham Hatt created both of you?”

They chuckled again, and Stephen said, “Bless you, no, the Earl of Sodor created me!”

“And Sir Topham Hatt created me,” Glynn gently spoke. “When he was a young lad, that is.”

“How young was he?” Stephanie curiously asked again, stepping closer to Glynn before covering her mouth with her hands.

On the half of the rules back at her ‘home,’ there was a critical rule that all children should learn; to never ask stupid questions to anyone.

They noticed she covered her mouth with her hands, raising an eyebrow towards her.

“What’s wrong with that question?” Glynn asked. “He was only about twenty-five or twenty-eight years old when he first created me, if you were wondering too.”

Stephanie glanced away for a moment after she had removed her hands from her mouth before honestly answering Glynn’s question, “I have a strict foster-father who doesn’t like ‘stupid questions’ from me or from any of the other adopted children.”

She quoted the word ‘stupid’ with her fingers of her hands.

“So, he made a rule where no child could ask any of them that seemed ‘stupid,’” Stephanie continued explaining before quoting again with her fingers. “And only ask questions that are on the topic.”

Glynn and Stephen glanced at each other after Stephanie explained why she covered her mouth with her hands before glancing back over at her.

“What happens after someone accidentally breaks that rule?” Stephen asked.

Stephanie paused for a moment after Stephen asked that question, rubbing her arm slightly in thought.

“I… don’t want to explain.” Stephanie sighed, answering Stephen’s question.

Stephen and Glynn glanced at each other after Stephanie answered their question before understanding she was still uncomfortable answering it.

Stephanie then remembered why she was outside and politely asked, “May I have a look around the castle? I got a little lost while inside before.”

“Did you see the crown?” Glynn asked.

A confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after he had asked.

“What crown?” Stephanie asked, glancing back at Glynn.

“There’s a crown inside the castle!” Stephen beamed as he puffed along Glynn’s side. “Would you like to have a ride with Glynn to see it?”

Stephanie looked slightly surprised by the question Stephen asked.

She looked at Glynn curiously as Glynn patiently waited for her to climb onto him.

She hesitated for a moment before finally answering, “Yes, I would like to have a look at this crown.”

Glynn smiled proudly as his driver stepped off his back and walked towards Stephanie.

Stephen waited patiently as Glynn’s driver picked Stephanie up from the ground and turned back around towards Glynn.

He first placed Stephanie down before climbing up, confusing Stephanie lightly.

She remembered Glynn did not have a tender with him and did not need a fireman with him.

But how can he get coal if he does not have a tender?

Once Stephanie was on Glynn, Glynn whistled his whistle and puffed forward slowly as Stephen followed pursuit behind him.

Halfway out of the castle’s entrance, two well-known black steam locomotives puffed forward at a fast pace.

They were both mumbling things in Gaelic at a frantic pace, too, not even noticing Glynn and Stephen in front of them.

Stephanie knew who those two were as Duck was following behind with a slightly unamused look on his face.

He saw Glynn and Stephen were about to exit out of the castle to show Stephanie around when those two appeared, calling out, “Watch out for them!”

They both exclaimed something in Gaelic and immediately hit the brakes, screeching towards them.

Glynn’s driver grabbed Stephanie gently just in time before the crash and hugged her, bracing for the impact.

Luckily, they did not crash into each other but instead gently tapped their front bumpers together.

The two well-known black steam locomotives were Donald and Douglas.

“O, mo-” Donald said, as they both went backwards, luckily not going into Duck behind them. “Sorry aboot thon, Glynn.”

“An’ Stephen,” Douglas added, as both of them blushed sheepishly.

“What on earth were you two doing?!” exclaimed Stephen, as Glynn sighed in relief as his driver removed his arms from Stephanie, who was shaking like a leaf again. “Do you two think this is a race?!”

“N-No!” Stammered Douglas. “We were tryin’ tae find Stephanie!”

Instantly, Stephen and Glynn looked surprised after Douglas mentioned Stephanie.

“You met her before?” Stephen asked.

“Of course,” nodded Duck. “They both met her two days ago when she was lost. And, the reason why Douglas’ driver lets Stephanie out of his cab, and Toad’s brakeman helped her calm down because she is sensitive from both of you two’s arguing!”

Donald and Douglas glanced at each other after Duck snapped.

After thinking for a moment, they blushed a deeper color in a red shade.

After Duck yelled at them for a short moment, he sighed as he closed his eyes to calm down a little to not make Stephanie overwhelmed again.

“Well, about Stephanie,” Glynn spoke, catching all three’s attention. “She is with me, and I was about to show her around the castle if you two would move, please.”

He growled slightly at the end of his sentence at the twins for nearly giving them a scare, as they both flushed another shade of red, moving backwards and out of their way.

“Thank you.” Glynn thanked them before exiting the castle as Stephen followed behind.

Stephanie glanced over to Duck from around his driver’s legs and said, while waving to him, “Bye, Duckie.”

Glynn, Stephen, Donald, and Douglas snorted a little from Stephanie’s nickname towards Duck as Duck sighed slightly.

“That’s going to be old soon…” he sighed.

“‘Duckie?!’” exclaimed Donald.

“Ye’re nicknamit ‘Duckie?!’” exclaimed Douglas before the two started laughing.

Duck’s cheeks blushed slightly from the nickname before gently chuckling to himself a little from what Stephanie came up with.

Meanwhile, Stephen and Glynn were chuckling to themselves about the nickname as Stephanie chuckled slightly.

“That’s a cute nickname for him!” chuckled Stephen. “It suits him!”

Glynn nodded in response to the nickname as Stephanie blushed slightly.

This might not be that bad, after all.

If she does not encounter more scary vehicles that could hurt her, that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	5. The Day of The Diesels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie was heading back to Knapford Station with the help of Stephen until he told her a story about a diesel...

The next day, Stephanie thanked Sir Robert Norramby, Stephen, and Glynn for allowing her to stay over at Ulfstead Castle after an incident with Captain Bluenose.

But she did not forget to thank Millie for telling her about the history of the castle.

Millie is painted French blue with white lining, brass fittings, a golden running board, boiler bands, and wheel spokes, as her wheel rims are also French blue.

Sir Robert Norramby’s crest is painted on the sides of her cab, and her name is painted white on the sides of her boiler.

They granted Stephanie’s gratitude for their hospitality, feeling a little down about missing a wonderful child.

But she assured them that someday she would return to meet them again.

Sir Robert Norramby allowed Stephen to take a turn to take Stephanie back to Knapford Station to be picked up by Sir Topham Hatt.

It was a slow journey back towards Knapford Station with Stephen, but Stephanie did not mind and liked to see the scenery.

On the ride to Knapford Station, Stephanie noticed a worn-out sign that reads, ‘Vicarstown Dieselworks,’ and has a picture of a diesel on it.

The worn-out sign piqued her curiosity after noticing it while on the slow ride with Stephen.

“Excuse me, Stephen?” Stephanie spoke, breaking the silence between the two and catching Stephen’s attention from the rails. “What’s the ‘Vicarstown Dieselworks?’”

Stephen stopped for a moment on the journey and glanced around to see what Stephanie was mentioning.

He noticed the worn-down sign that Stephanie mentioned after stopping.

“Oh, that’s where most of the diesels work,” Stephen answered Stephanie’s question before continuing on his way. “Do you remember Salty from Brendam Docks?”

Stephanie nodded her head, remembering Salty from the docks when Charlie took her there to meet Sunshine.

“Yes, I remember him,” Stephanie answered, nodding her head gently. “I met him at the docks where I first came to Sodor after Charlie had brought me to see Sunshine.”

“He’s a diesel,” Stephen smiled. “He works at the docks because he is a dockyard diesel. Salty once worked at the Anopha Quarry with Mavis, who is a diesel too.”

Stephanie continued listening to Stephen’s explanation of diesels, feeling interested.

“He won the trucks over with his tales and songs, which annoyed Bill and Ben a little,” Stephen continued before chuckling slightly. “But, he did get a reward for it, working at the docks with Cranky the crane.”

Stephanie smiled softly as the worn-out sign of the diesel works slowly passed by them.

Even her curiosity about diesels grew too.

“Are any of the diesels working there friendly like Salty, Frank, or Mavis?” Stephanie curiously asked.

Stephen paused for a moment to think to himself about any ‘friendly diesels’ before answering Stephanie’s question, “A few of the diesels there are friendly, but there is an evil diesel who you don’t want to meet.”

Stephanie blinked a few times with curiosity and confusion before asking Stephen again, “Who’s this ‘evil diesel,’ Stephen?”

As Stephen passed through a creepy-looking forest, he started out explaining who the ‘evil diesel’ is.

“His name is Diesel 10,” Stephen explained, glancing over at a tree branch that had the shape of a claw extending out towards them. “He lives in that shed with the other mischievous diesels and has a claw on top of him.”

Stephanie glanced over at the claw-shaped branch that Stephen was glancing at before, shuddering to herself quietly without his driver or fireman noticing, before glancing back over to Stephen.

“He does not like humans or steam locomotives,” Stephen continued explaining as his driver and fireman shuddered slightly to themselves. “Especially Thomas, who had saved Lady before he could destroy her again. To let you know who Lady is, she is a magical locomotive that produces magic for the conductors to use and keeps Sodor running.”

Stephen remembers the story told either by Thomas or one of the conductors, surprising him how a young steam locomotive was brave enough to face a dangerous diesel.

Stephanie was impressed that Thomas, the steam locomotive she met on the night while staying in the hospital, was brave enough to face him and save Lady from him.

But she wonders why Diesel 10 wanted to do that to her.

“He believes that if he destroys Lady, he and the other evil diesels would have the rails to themselves instead of sharing it with the steam locomotives,” Stephen continued, perking Stephanie’s curiosity. “That means to wipe each one of us off the face of Sodor! That means if Lady is gone, the magic disappears!”

A nervous jolt went through Stephanie’s body when he mentioned that, feeling slightly worried about meeting Diesel 10 face to face or any other ‘evil diesels.’

“But,” Stephen smiled as he exited out of the creepy-looking forest. “Sometimes Thomas or anyone else would try to stop Diesel 10 or any other diesels from doing their evil schemes and saves the day!”

Stephanie smiled softly about Thomas, feeling like she should meet him some other time, but, on the other hand, she felt more curious about the diesels.

The diesel locomotive, called Diesel 10, was described as ‘especially scary’ by how Stephen described him in the story he told.

Once Stephen stopped by Knapford Station, he dropped Stephanie off and left, as Stephanie patiently waited for him to turn the corner to disappear and took this chance.

After watching, Stephanie turned the corner as Sir Topham Hatt was still working and disappeared down the bend; Stephanie instantly hoofed it, heading towards Vicarstown Dieselworks.

It was a pretty long walk for Stephanie to walk that far, but Stephanie ignored the distance between the Vicarstown Dieselworks and Knapford.

When Stephanie reached the area where she saw the sign, Stephanie hesitated as she stared at it for a moment, wondering to herself about her decision to greet the diesels.

Stephen’s story about Diesel 10 echoed around Stephanie’s head, retelling the storyline to her again of how deadly he is towards humans and steam locomotives.

Causing havoc on Sodor and despising humans for no good reason.

But Stephanie forced the story out of her head and started walking towards Vicarstown Dieselworks to meet the diesels.

She did not see any diesels or steam locomotives as she headed towards the Vicarstown Dieselworks, which made her double-think that Diesel 10 could be waiting for her to come.

She continued her journey down the rails, stopping to pick wild blueberries on the side for a snack.

Stephanie picked the perfectly ripe blueberries and only left behind the unripe or moldy blueberries.

Once she had picked all the blueberries from the bushes, Stephanie ate them happily before continuing her journey down the rails towards the Vicarstown Dieselworks, still wondering to herself about the diesels.

Finally, Stephanie reached Vicarstown Dieselworks after a long walk but was surprised to see how unfamiliar it was to her from the other sheds she saw.

Nothing around it has a single strand of grass growing or any trees growing either.

It all seemed like a scary place for any diesels to be working in, but Stephanie continued bravely entering the diesel works.

But before she could enter inside the Vicarstown Dieselworks, she stood at the entrance of the diesel works and called out to anyone who was inside, “Excuse me? Is anyone inside?”

There was no response to Stephanie’s question, but instead, the sounds of something mechanical came out of the shed.

Stephanie felt worried about what danger she could be walking in with meeting the terrifying Diesel 10, although she had doubts about Stephen’s story.

What if the diesel locomotive was kind and just had a bad temper back then?

So instead of walking away, Stephanie stayed where she was, patiently waiting for whatever was inside the shed to come out.

Soon out came a massive diesel with a claw on top of him that moved up a little by itself.

Stephanie was surprised to see who the diesel locomotive was, feeling her heart skip a beat.

It was Diesel 10 himself!

He is painted ochre with tan stripes along his sides.

His buffers and the claw on top of him are all painted dark brown.

Stephanie was terrified when she noticed Diesel 10 staring back at her as the claw on top of him clacked together.

But she did not run away and only stayed out of where she was, noticing he did not look that scary from the story Stephen told her.

Diesel 10 noticed that Stephanie did not run away from him after he came out of the shed, raising an eyebrow with confusion.

“What are you doin’ here?” Diesel 10 asked as the pincher on top of him clacked in response.

At first, Stephanie felt scared to answer his question about what she was doing in front of the Vicarstown Dieselworks and encountering Diesel 10 for the first time.

But she gathered her courage and answered his question, “I came here to see you, Diesel 10. I heard stories about you from Stephen.”

A slightly surprised expression replaced his confusion for a moment before shaking his body and frowning.

“I rarely get that many visitors that often,” Diesel 10 spoke as he moved forward slightly. “But, you are the first to be brave enough to come here to see me. Others just run away after the first eye contact.”

A slightly apologetic expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after Diesel 10 explained what happened to visitors that usually came over to see him until he started laughing to himself.

The pincher on top of him started clacking in excitement.

“It’s funny to watch their expressions when they see me come out of the diesel works!” Diesel 10 laughed as Pinchy continued clacking.

He glanced up at his pincher and nodded, “Yes, yes, I know Pinchy! You like to lunge at them!”

Diesel 10 continued laughing to himself about his ‘scaring’ of the ‘visitors’ that usually come over to see him and Pinchy, as Stephanie looked confused.

For all the stories that Stephanie heard from Stephen about him, it was unusual for her to see him this excited about scaring people.

“You’re not scary,” Stephanie said, realizing something.

Instantly, Diesel 10’s laughter and Pinchy’s clacking stopped, as Diesel 10’s expression on his face looked surprised again.

He glanced back over at Stephanie and asked, “Excuse me?”

“You’re not that scary!” Stephanie repeated herself to him, sounding slightly brave to him. “You’re just a big diesel who looks scary on the outside!”

Diesel 10’s expression looked more confused than before, blinking a few times as he stared at Stephanie.

Out of all the ‘visitors’ that usually come over to the diesel works, she is the unexpected ‘visitor’ to say that to him.

Even with no signs of fear standing almost four or five feet away from him!

Diesel 10 moved out of the diesel works’ entrance after Stephanie told him that, as Pinchy moved up more in confusion.

Mentally, Stephanie thought she had said the wrong words to him and may have embarrassed or angered him.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Diesel 10 exclaimed. “I am big and scary! I destroyed Lady before, didn’t I?”

Stephanie mentally sighed in relief that she did not make him angry but responded, “Thomas stopped you before you could do it again, hmm?”

Diesel 10 opened his mouth to retaliate for that response but paused and nodded in agreement.

“Well, yeah, that did happen,” Diesel 10 grumbled before shaking his body again. “Alright, is there a reason why you said I am not scary?”

Stephanie shrugged her shoulders after Diesel 10 asked and answered, “You don’t seem to be that scary to me from the stories Stephen told me. You’re just a grumpy diesel who hates visitors.”

A slight scoff came from Diesel 10 after Stephanie answered his question as a light blush appeared on his cheeks.

From inside the diesel works, another diesel appeared next to him on the tracks.

He had a slightly confused expression on his face as if he wondered what was going on outside.

The diesel locomotive was painted black with silver rods.

Stephanie noticed the black diesel locomotive right next to Diesel 10, cocking an eyebrow with curiosity and confusion.

“Who’s your friend?” Stephanie asked, mentioning him with her hand.

Diesel 10 glanced over at the diesel locomotive next to him before smirking.

He mentioned to him with Pinchy as the black diesel locomotive grinned mischievously.

“This is my brother, Diesel,” Diesel 10 introduced.

Diesel, the black diesel locomotive, honked his horn after the introduction from Diesel 10.

It was not like the whistles Stephanie had heard from tugboats and steam locomotives, but almost like Salty’s.

“Pleased to meet you,” Diesel smirked.

Diesel noticed something about Stephanie that made him raise an eyebrow as his smirk disappeared.

“Where are your parents?” Diesel asked.

Diesel 10’s smirk dropped into a shocked expression, realizing the situation.

Pinchy fell after being introduced to Diesel, landing on top of his head with a metal and hard clunk.

“Ow!” Diesel cried out in pain after the impact of Diesel 10’s pincher.

“Oh, grease and oil!” exclaimed Diesel 10 before glancing around for anyone. “Your parents!”

After hitting Diesel’s head, Pinchy moved up and away from the top of Diesel’s head before laying on top of Diesel 10.

Diesel 10 groaned softly to himself as he gently rocked his body back and forth, worried about how Sir Topham Hatt would react to seeing Stephanie here.

“They are goin’ to be cross with us,” Diesel 10 groaned. “Thinkin’ that we kidnapped her!”

Stephanie rolled her eyes slightly and spoke through the mumbling from Diesel 10, as there was a slight tone of sadness, “My parents are dead.”

Instantly, both diesels glanced back over at Stephanie from glancing at each other, with slightly surprised expressions on their faces.

“My foster-father is my only… parent that is going to come here to Sodor sooner or later to find me, and…” she drifted off again as she gripped her slightly shaking left arm. “Never mind, it’s nothing personal.”

Slight confusion replaced the surprised expressions on their faces, glancing at each other again before glancing back at Stephanie.

“Anyway,” Stephanie shook her head to ignore the feelings and politely asked, “What is it like inside the diesel works?”

Diesel and Diesel 10 glanced at each other with slightly confused expressions on their faces for a moment before moving backwards into the diesel works, allowing Stephanie to come inside.

Stephanie smiled softly at herself and entered inside, following after the two diesels.

When Stephanie entered, she could see it was different inside than outside.

It was semi-covered in grease and smelled like oil inside, along with smoke and must.

Some smells are almost identical to the ones she used to smell when she was back ‘home.’

Glancing up at the top, she noticed a crane inside at the second level.

But does not have a face like the other cranes she had met before, which seemed a little sad.

A turntable underneath the two diesels went up to the second floor of the diesel works.

Stephanie did not step onto the turntable but watched them go up.

Once it had reached the second floor, the two diesels backed up more before stopping.

“Now that you are inside,” Diesel 10 spoke. “I like you to meet my other friends.”

A slightly confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after he had mentioned ‘friends.’

Then more diesels appeared side by side from either Diesel or Diesel 10.

Some appeared next to Diesel and Diesel 10, as did others on different sides.

The first diesel locomotive is painted two-tone gray with dark gray wheels, gearboxes, roof, and front.

The number “11001” is painted on his sides in white.

He was standing next to Diesel 10 on the right-hand side, with a slightly confused expression on his face.

The second diesel locomotive is painted slate gray and orange with a cream lining. 

His buffer beams are painted with orange and black wasp stripes. 

He has the Vicarstown Dieselworks logo on each side of his cab.

He was next to Diesel on the left-hand side, staring down at Stephanie with the same expression on his face as the last diesel locomotive.

The third diesel locomotive is painted yellow and maroon with a white lining and also has the Vicarstown Dieselworks logo on the side of his cab. 

He has yellow and black hazard stripes painted on his buffer beams.

He is next to the second diesel locomotive by Diesel 10 and smaller than the rest to Stephanie’s mental remark about it.

The fourth diesel locomotive is painted navy blue with a yellow lining and hazard stripes under his face. 

His coupling rods and front buffer beam are painted a rusty orange color. 

His paint is chipped in places and shows signs of weathering.

He was next to the second diesel locomotive, and another one was right next to him.

They both looked almost identical to each other, except in different colors and shapes.

The fifth diesel locomotive is painted dark green with a yellow lining. 

His side rods and front buffer beam are painted a rusty orange color. 

His paint is chipped in places and shows signs of weathering.

He is next to the fourth diesel locomotive as the first diesel locomotive has a twin next to him.

The last diesel locomotive is painted in orange-red with yellow lining and has a dark gray roof.

‘Whoa,’ Stephanie thought to herself in slight amusement as she stared back at the diesels. ‘That is a lot of diesels.’

They all glanced over at Diesel and Diesel 10, and one of them asked, “Is she one of your drivers’ daughters?”

Stephanie gasped softly and shook her head no when one of them glanced back over at her.

“No,” he slightly snapped while frowning. “Stephanie is not my driver’s or Diesel 10’s driver’s daughter! She already has this, ‘foster-father.’”

“Oh,” one of them glanced over at her. “She looks cute, though.”

Stephanie’s cheeks blushed slightly from the compliment before asking, “Excuse me, but what are your names?”

Diesel smirked with pride, and Diesel 10’s claw mentioned one by one, without banging the top of their heads like what happened earlier.

“The gray diesel by me is Dennis,” he introduced, as Dennis honked his horn in response.

Stephanie waved her hand in response to Dennis’s horn after he had honked it.

Pinchy moved away from Dennis after Diesel introduced him and went to the next diesel locomotive.

“This is Den,” he introduced, as Den honked his horn.

Stephanie repeated the same thing she did before to Dennis after he had honked his horn.

Pinchy then moved away from Den and towards the short diesel locomotive.

“This is Dart.” Diesel introduced as Dart honked his horn.

Stephanie waved her hand towards him in response, repeating the same process.

Pinchy moved away from Dart and mentioned the third diesel locomotive.

“This is Sidney,” Diesel continued introducing as Sidney honked his horn.

Stephanie waved her hand again in response to Sidney’s honk, repeating the same process.

It did sound a little broken, however.

Pinchy moved away from Sidney and mentioned the fourth diesel locomotive.

“This is Paxton,”‌ Diesel introduced, as Paxton honked his horn.

“Hello!” he greeted with a friendly tone in his voice.

“Hello to you too!”‌ Stephanie smiled in response after waving her hand to him.

Pinchy then moved away from Paxton and mentioned the last diesel locomotive.

“And this is Norman, Dennis’s twin brother.”‌ Diesel finished introducing as Norman honked his horn.

Stephanie waved her hand for the last time before hearing four horns honk from behind her.

Deciding to see who that was, Stephanie turned around to see.

To her surprise, she saw four more diesels behind her.

The two new diesels are painted green-grey with yellow hazard stripes on their fronts with yellow cabs. 

They have “Sodor Ironworks” written on their sides in white.

The two diesels in the front were twins, except one of them has a slight stubble.

Behind the first two diesels were two more diesels, as one of them is painted purple and gray while the other is painted olive and gray. 

Both are heavily weathered and have their names ‘Splatter’ and ‘Dodge’ painted on their sides in white.

“Who’s she?” the olive diesel asked in confusion.

“Oh, Splodge, B’Arry!” smirked Diesel 10. “You’re just in time!”

“For what?” the yellow-painted diesel locomotive asked as the turntable behind Stephanie moved back down with Diesel 10 on top.

After he was back on level ground, Diesel 10’s claw moved down to Stephanie and introduced her to the other diesels.

“This is Stephanie,” Diesel 10 introduced. “She’s someone’s adopted daughter.”

All four diesels glanced at each other and back over at Diesel 10.

“What?”‌ Diesel 10 asked as Pinchy moved back up from introducing Stephanie.

“Uh, Sir Topham Hatt was looking for her.” the purple-painted diesel locomotive spoke. “He was nervous.”

Immediately, a jolt went through Diesel 10 when he realized that he took a little too much time introducing Stephanie to his friends, forgetting about Sir Topham Hatt’s reaction to seeing her here instead of at where she is supposed to be at.

But he did  _ not  _ want to be in trouble with Sir Topham Hatt after dropping her off.

Taking the chance to get scolded at, Diesel 10 stammered, “Oh, r-right!‌ I kept forgettin’ about that!”

Diesel 10’s driver stepped out from inside his cab and walked over to Stephanie before gently placing his hands underneath her armpits and lifting her up.

Stephanie looked slightly uneasy about Sir Topham Hatt being crossed at her for disobeying one of his orders.

After Stephanie was picked up from the ground, Diesel 10’s driver entered inside Diesel 10’s cab with Stephanie in his hands, as Diesel 10 honked his horn and went off hurriedly.

Meanwhile, inside Diesel 10, Stephanie still looked worried about Sir Topham Hatt while sitting on a chair, tapping her fingers against her arm as Diesel 10’s driver focused on the controls.

Ever since she had lived in her adopted ‘father’s’ home, Stephanie had to obey every rule there is, and if she or the other children disobey it, there are severe consequences.

But now that she had broken the order that Sir Topham Hatt had explicitly told her, Stephanie was worried about the consequences she might get.

Once Diesel 10 reached Knapford Station, he could see Sir Topham Hatt nervously pacing back and forth.

He kept fussing with his tie, his collar, and his hat a few times.

Diesel 10 frowned for a moment before mentally sighing to himself and honking his horn.

After Diesel 10 honked his horn, Sir Topham Hatt turned towards him and sighed.

“Ah, Diesel 10, there you are,” Sir Topham Hatt sighed. “There is something I want to ask, have you seen a little girl who is this tall and has long brown hair?”

He measured Stephanie’s height the best he could with his hand, as the other was nervously tugging at the collar of his suit.

“Yep,” nodded Diesel 10, as the door to his cab opened, and his driver stepped out, holding Stephanie from underneath her armpits. “Found her.”

A shy blush appeared on Stephanie’s cheeks as she sheepishly waved her hand towards him, feeling like a cat caught doing something.

“Hi, Sir.” Stephanie sheepishly greeted.

A relieved sigh came from Sir Topham Hatt after Diesel 10’s driver placed Stephanie back down on the ground, preparing herself from the scolding from him.

“Where were you, young lady?” he asked, as Stephanie softly winced, gripping her sweater with her right hand. “I thought I told the Earl of Sodor and told you to stay here until I come out.”

“Well,”‌ Stephanie spoke as she started shaking slightly. “I heard a story from Stephen about the diesels and felt curious about it, thus the reason why I wanted to see them.”

Sir Topham Hatt cocked an eyebrow after Stephanie had explained why she disobeyed his order.

“Stephen told you a story about diesels?” Sir Topham Hatt asked.

‘Uh, oh.’ Diesel 10 cringed softly to himself.

“Yes,” Stephanie nodded her head, feeling a bit brave to talk to Sir Topham Hatt, even though she is scared to get into trouble with him. “Stephen described who Diesel 10 is, and I wanted to see if it’s true. I am sorry if I scared you or anyone else.”

Diesel 10 looked surprised at how sorry Stephanie was in front of Sir Topham Hatt but mentally felt confused about why Stephanie feared him.

Did Stephanie see how angry he could get when someone disobeys him?

Instead of saying anything else to her about her apology, Sir Topham Hatt’s expression softened.

“I forgive you, Stephanie,”‌ Sir Topham Hatt smiled. “But, next time you want to go somewhere after someone explains what it is like, tell me about it, and I’ll ask one of the diesels or steam locomotives to take you there.”

Stephanie perked a little from being scared and sheepish in front of Sir Topham Hatt and smiled softly.

From behind that soft smile, Diesel 10 could see some hints of confusion.

“Thank you, Sir Topham Hatt.” Stephanie granted before remembering the bag in her pocket. “Oh, on the way to the diesel works, I found some blueberries!”

Stephanie showed Sir Topham Hatt the bag filled with blueberries she had collected as Diesel 10 decided that it was time to escape the conversation.

But before he could get back out of Knapford Station, something banged into the back of his buffers, bumping him slightly.

“Hey!”‌ Diesel 10 snapped. “Watch where you are goin’!”

From behind Diesel 10, Stephen accidentally bumped into him, his cheeks red, and looked in a panic.

“Sorry!”‌ Stephen apologized. “Oh, Diesel, have you-!”

That was when he noticed a slightly confused Sir Topham Hatt and a startled Stephanie holding her bag filled with blueberries in her hands.

“There you are!”‌ Stephen sighed. “You gave us a big scare, young lady!”

The same sheepish blush appeared on Stephanie’s cheeks as Sir Topham Hatt looked slightly confused by Stephen’s parenting.

“I went all over Sodor to look for you and-” he stopped when he noticed the expression on Sir Topham Hatt’s face before blushing slightly.

Diesel 10 chuckled from Stephen’s slight embarrassment.

“It seems like I’m not the one tryin’ to be a parent to her, hmm?” Diesel 10 teased before leaving the station.

There was no one else around Diesel 10 as he left, seemingly as if the truth about him scares everyone else, which was something Stephanie was slightly annoyed about.

Once Diesel 10 was out of Knapford station, Sir Topham Hatt thanked Stephen for finding Stephanie after noticing she was missing.

Stephanie apologized to them for scaring everyone, which they granted, but told her to tell someone next time.

She may have seen more steam locomotives and diesels after asking Sir Topham Hatt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	6. I Have Heard the Engines Sing Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie and Charlie went around doing their work when Charlie introduced her to someone and a talent they have...

The next day, Stephanie felt bored staying inside Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion doing nothing, despite having some crafts from Dowager Hatt to ease the boredom a little.

But after she finished the crafts, she went back to being bored out of her mind.

Sighing, Stephanie stood up from the chair she was sitting in, thinking of another way to get her mind off the boredom.

Stephanie felt like she wanted to tell Sir Topham Hatt that she was bored from staying inside her room for a while, but something inside her felt like she should not.

Soon, Alice entered her room with the laundry basket, noticing Stephanie thinking to herself.

“Is there something wrong?” Alice asked, noticing her expression.

Stephanie snapped out of her thoughts and glanced over at Alice, blushing slightly and stammered, “O-Oh, just thinking to myself, that’s all.”

Alice paused for a moment after Stephanie assured her, placing the basket down on her bed before asking, “Are you bored?”

A light blush appeared on Stephanie’s cheeks after Alice asked, feeling sheepish about asking if she was bored.

“I… am.” Stephanie slowly answered, her blush going another shade.

Alice paused after Stephanie answered her question, placing one hand on her shoulder as the other was still holding the laundry basket.

“It is okay if you are bored,” Alice assured Stephanie, as Stephanie’s blushing stopped. “Let me tell Reginald if someone or a locomotive will take you with them.”

Stephanie smiled softly and nodded her head as Alice picked up the laundry basket she had in her hands and added the clothes before walking out of her room.

After Alice disappeared, Stephanie thinks about her idea of asking one of the engines if they are free to take her around to get her boredom out.

Stephanie felt like she was annoying towards everyone else she met and could cause a problem for someone.

So, being as cautious as she is, Stephanie brushed her long hair out before putting it up into a low ponytail.

Once Stephanie had her long brown hair up into a low ponytail, Reginald entered her room as Stephanie glanced over at him.

“Ms. Allen?” Reginald spoke as Stephanie stood up to her feet. “Charlie’s driver wants to meet you.”

‘‘Charlie?’’ Stephanie thought to herself with a slightly confused expression on her face but nodded her head and followed Reginald to the front door.

As soon as Stephanie and Reginald reached the front door, Reginald opened it and revealed it to be Charlie’s driver, who has a dark green eye color.

“Ah, you must be Stephanie, right?” he asked, as Stephanie nodded her head. “Beautiful young girl.”

A light blush appeared on Stephanie’s cheeks when he mentioned her beauty, glancing down from his eyesight, feeling shy.

“I think you embarrassed her.” Alice gently chuckled as Stephanie’s blush deepened slightly.

Charlie’s driver chuckled along with Alice for a moment before picking Stephanie up and holding her against his chest.

Out of all the times she kept being picked up by people, Stephanie did not mind being held, making her feel safe and sometimes loved.

“We’ll be back at the time of lunch,” Charlie’s driver smiled, winking at Alice as she blushed. “Just let Sir Topham Hatt know.”

Alice nodded her head, and Charlie’s driver tipped his hat to her without dropping Stephanie and turned around, walking towards Charlie, who looked excited as there were small quick puffs of steam coming from his funnel.

“Calm down, Charlie!” his driver chuckled, noticing how excited he was as he came up to him. “You’re going to bust your pistons!”

“I can’t!” Charlie smirked. “I like Stephanie!”

A soft, surprised expression appeared on Stephanie’s face as she was handed over to Charlie’s fireman as Charlie’s driver hopped inside his cab.

Once everyone was inside Charlie’s cab, Stephanie was placed back down on the ground, and Charlie whistled his whistle, puffing off down the rails.

Stephanie was riding inside Charlie as he was heading to the docks, feeling bored as she leaned against the door of Charlie’s cab, watching the fireman and driver work on him.

They turned the knobs to control the way of the steam, whistling a few times as they passed by houses that had the signalman inside.

Mostly towards other engines that are passing by Charlie as he continues puffing down the line.

The fireman continued shoveling the coal from the hopper behind Stephanie and into the fireplace, keeping the fire from dying.

This continued a few times before the fireman stopped for a moment.

He wiped the sweat and soot off his forehead with a handkerchief in his hand.

Mentally, she wanted to drive Charlie for the first time in her life!

But before she could question the driver and fireman if she could have a turn, something in her mind told her to stop asking.

She even reminded herself that she is only eleven years old and too short.

Not only that, Stephanie feels like she does not belong in Sodor either, since she was born in America.

“Hey, Steph?” Charlie spoke, snapping Stephanie out of her state of being bored. “Want to hear a song?”

The word ‘song’ perked Stephanie’s curiosity.

“What song?” Stephanie asked, standing up straight.

Charlie giggled and arrived at the docks underneath Cranky as he unloaded the ships and the barges Hercules had.

“Listen,” he smiled.

Stephanie fell silent after Charlie stopped, listening to everything around Charlie and herself.

Aside from the soft swaying of the ocean water, Cranky’s gentle creaking, and workmen calling out to others, she seemed everything was peaceful.

But she saw a diesel locomotive come around the bend while pulling a long line of trucks behind her.

The diesel locomotive is painted black with yellow hazard stripes on her front and rear.

She has her name ‘Mavis’ and “The Ffarquhar Quarry Co. Ltd.” written in white on her cab and side plates, respectively.

‘That’s Mavis?’ Stephanie thought to herself, trying to stand on her tiptoes to get a better look as she entered the docks.

Charlie’s driver noticed she was having trouble getting to her tiptoes, so placing his hands underneath her armpit, he lifted Stephanie to the window and allowed her to have a look at the diesel locomotive.

She had a smile on her face as she drove along the docks, not even noticing Stephanie was inside with Charlie.

Then she started singing to Stephanie’s surprise.

“🎵Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside~,🎵” Mavis sang, surprising Stephanie slightly. “🎵Oh! I do like to be beside the sea~!🎵”

The song sounds like a pirate song, as Salty added to the singing along with Mavis.

“🎵Oh! I do like to stroll along the Prom, Prom, Prom!🎵” The two diesels sang as Cranky watched them before adding to the singing as Carly and Big Mickey listened. “🎵Where the brass bands play, ‘Tiddely-om-pom-pom!’🎵”

Then, another voice was added into the singing, but it was not from Big Mickey or Carly, but sounded like Thomas!

Stephanie perked more when she heard the voice singing, seeing him again as he pushed the line of trucks behind Mavis.

“🎵Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside~,🎵” Thomas sang, making Stephanie smile softly. “🎵Oh! I do like to be beside the sea~!🎵”

Porter then added to the singing with the others, making Stephanie feel like she was home again.

“🎵When I’m down beside the sea,🎵” they all sang, as Hercules added in the singing too, smiling softly. “🎵I’m beside myself with glee, beside the seaside! Beside the sea~!🎵”

After the song finished, Salty chuckled with happiness as Stephanie softly.

She wanted to be part of the crowd but mentally put herself down because of the subconscious doubt about her voice and appearance compared to the other children.

“Hello, Mavis!” Charlie greeted with a whistle from his whistle, snapping Stephanie out of her thoughts.

Mavis responded to Charlie with a honk of her horn, and Thomas did the same thing too with his whistles.

“Hello, Charlie!” They both simultaneously greeted Charlie.

Charlie smiled happily after they simultaneously greeted Charlie, not noticing Stephanie inside his cab.

“No time for jokes,” Thomas spoke, knowing what he was going to say next. “We have to deliver these rocks over to the Ffarquhar Quarry.”

Charlie understood what they said and nodded.

“Okay!” Charlie smiled. “I’ll wait!”

Stephanie was about to wave to Thomas and Mavis when Charlie’s driver placed Stephanie down on the ground as Charlie moved again.

‘Oh, well,’ Stephanie shrugged to herself. ‘I could try again later.’

Charlie left the docks and hummed to himself gently about the song that Mavis, Thomas, Hercules, Cranky, Salty, and Porter were singing earlier.

Stephanie enjoyed the song back in the docks but wondered to herself about her singing.

Ever since Stephanie loved singing, she had sung for a long time, for as long as Stephanie can remember.

But she stopped after she was... ‘adopted.’

A quiet shudder went down Stephanie’s back, remembering her ‘father’ who adopted her.

Mentally, she wishes not to see him again and wants to stay far away from him.

Stephanie even felt like she did not belong here and acted like a stranger distracting them from their work.

Absentmindedly, Stephanie rubbed the back of her left hand, feeling worried about her ‘father’ coming over to Sodor to pick her up.

Luckily, Charlie’s driver or fireman did not notice she was rubbing the back of her hand nervously, feeling something underneath it.

Soon, Charlie came up across a derailed Henry, who looked slightly glum.

Instantly, Charlie stopped when he noticed the glum-looking Henry, as Stephanie peeked a little from inside his cab.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Henry?” Charlie asked.

“I have been derailed from a stray rock on the line,” Henry answered glumly. “I was waiting for someone to come and get me a crane to get me back on the rails.”

Charlie smiled softly and said, “Don’t worry, let me get a crane for you!”

Henry smiled a little before Charlie puffed off, leaving him alone for the moment.

Meanwhile, Charlie reached a section of Sodor, which Stephanie had never seen before during her adventure.

“What’s this place, Charlie?” Stephanie asked while glancing around.

“This is the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, Stephanie!” Charlie smiled. “This is where the trains come to get help if they are in trouble!”

Stephanie’s curiosity grew as she stood on her tiptoes as she pulled herself up over Charlie’s cab door, trying to get a better look at what was at the Rescue Centre.

From standing on her tiptoes, she could see a small group of vehicles talking to each other.

There was a steam train painted royal blue with red and gold lining and brass fittings. 

She has the number “6120” painted in gold on her side tanks and a crest consisting of a flame, two dolphins, and a crown designed on her bunker sides.

Her water cannons and wheels are painted red, with the latter having blue rims.

A truck is painted red with yellow lining, with the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre emblem on its cab doors in white.

There is also a crane painted in brick-red with yellow hazard stripes on its sides and back.

There is another truck, except it was a pickup truck instead, and the front is painted yellow, and his trailer is painted navy blue, with “SODOR HEAVY RECOVERY UNIT” written on both sides in white. 

He also has the logo of the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre on his cab doors.

There was a helicopter there, too, and it was painted white with a red lining.

The name ‘Harold’ is painted on his sides, near his tail, in red.

Lastly, there was a boat in the boathouse, and the cab was painted yellow, his sides were blue, and his hull was red.

He is lined in white paint and has a long, thin, yellow mast at the stern.

Stephanie looked surprised to see how many rescue engines until she jolted when the alarm went off.

“It looks like it’s Rocky’s turn!” the blue steam train smiled.

‘Rocky?’ Stephanie thought to herself as Charlie went backwards after the rail clicked. ‘Who’s Rocky?’

Stephanie glanced through Charlie’s back window, wondering who Charlie is coupled up with.

She noticed he was getting the crane.

After he was coupled up to the crane, he whistled his whistle and puffed off, heading back to Henry.

During the ride, Stephanie glanced over at the crane, feeling curious about him.

Since she was smaller than any other normal eleven-year-old girl Stephanie had been around, she was easily unseen from inside Charlie’s cab.

Charlie’s driver and fireman were busy keeping Charlie going, so Stephanie decided to patiently wait for the right time to have a look at the crane.

Once they had arrived in the area where Henry was derailed, Charlie’s driver picked Stephanie up from inside him and stepped outside.

“Wait right here for a moment, okay?” he asked. “We need some room inside to help him get Rocky into position.”

Stephanie nodded her head, answering Charlie’s driver’s answer.

After Stephanie nodded her head, he went back inside with Charlie and drove him backwards carefully.

Stephanie patiently waited for them to finish as she watched the crane named Rocky.

The workmen placed hooks on Henry to let Rocky lift him from the ground as Henry waited for his wheels to be back on the rails.

Using his strength, Rocky miraculously lifted Henry from the siding and placed him back down on the rails.

He did the same thing to Henry’s tender as they coupled it to him once it was on the rails with him.

“It’s best if you go to the Steamworks, Henry,” one of the workmen said to Henry.

“Why don’t you take Stephanie with you, Henry?” Charlie peeped.

Henry looked confused and concerned about Stephanie.

“But it is your job to keep an eye on her, right, Charlie?” Henry asked.

“She did not see Victor before, hasn’t she?” Charlie pressed. “Besides, I might have some work to do, too!”

Henry paused again, understanding what Charlie meant, and nodded.

“Okay,” he sighed before glancing over at Stephanie. “Climb aboard, Stephanie.”

Stephanie nodded her head and stepped over to Henry’s cab before his driver picked her up from underneath the armpits and placed her down inside.

With a whistle of Henry’s whistle, Henry puffed off to the Steamworks, with Stephanie inside his cab.

Rocky noticed Stephanie after she had stepped out from Charlie’s cab and was patiently waiting for him to place Henry down on the tracks.

He looked slightly confused after Henry had left, as Charlie switched tracks and started heading back to the Rescue Centre.

“Who was that, Charlie?” Rocky asked. “Is she your driver’s daughter?”

Charlie giggled after Rocky asked as he puffed away.

“No,” he chuckled. “My driver does not have one. She has a foster-father, instead!”

“Oh,” Rocky then looked confused again. “Then, where is he?”

“He’s far away in America!” Charlie continued. “Someday soon, he will come here and pick Stephanie up. I hope it is a wonderful moment.”

Meanwhile, Stephanie heard the conversation, her face changing to a slightly sad expression about what Charlie said about her foster-father, leaning against the door of Henry’s cab.

“Be careful, Stephanie.” Henry worriedly spoke as he glanced over from the corner of his eyes. “You might lean in a little too much on my door and fall out.”

Stephanie perked a little after Henry warned her and moved away from his door, standing where she is and thinking to herself.

The ride to the Steamworks was long, but it was quiet too.

Except for the puffing, the wheels turning, the coal shoveling, and the fire burning from the firebox.

Including the noises of steam moving around through pipes and the turning of the knobs from Henry’s driver as his fireman continued shoveling coal.

Once Henry entered the Steamworks after he whistled his whistle, he stopped on a turntable and patiently waited for someone to come.

Henry’s driver opened his cab door and picked Stephanie up from underneath her armpits.

He stepped out from inside and placed Stephanie down as his fireman followed behind.

Soon a steam train appeared after Henry whistled, seeing him.

He is painted dark red with yellow lining and black and yellow hazard stripes on his front buffer beam.

The black and yellow hazard stripes on the rear of his cab are above his rear buffer beam.

The sides of his cab have the Sodor Steamworks logo painted on them.

“Ah, good to see you, Henry,” he greeted him. “What can I do for you?”

“Well,” Henry spoke, glancing to the side, before looking back at him. “I have been derailed earlier and was wondering if you could check if something is off, Victor?”

Victor, the name of the red steam train, nodded after Henry asked.

“Anything for a friend,” he smiled as Henry moved more into Steamworks.

Once Henry was out of Stephanie’s way, Victor looked surprised to see Stephanie standing there, looking sheepish.

“Uh, Henry?” Victor spoke, glancing over to Henry, but sighed when he had already left.

Stephanie sheepishly rubbed her left arm with her hand, asking, “Is there something wrong?”

Victor glanced back over at Stephanie and responded, “No, there’s nothing wrong. It’s just why are you here?”

Stephanie was about to answer Victor’s question when something clunked against the ground loudly in the distance.

It caused Stephanie to jump from the sound as Victor winced.

“Kevin!” Victor groaned after the noise died down.

Stephanie glanced over at who Victor groaned at, seeing a mobile crane with wheels.

He is painted in a yellow livery with black and light yellow warning stripes on his front.

His hook and brake are painted red.

He has the Sodor Steamworks logo painted on his cab door.

“Sorry, boss!” he called over to Victor as the workmen helped him get the parts he dropped back up.

“Forgive him,” Victor sighed, glancing over at Stephanie as he blushed slightly in embarrassment. “Slippy hook.”

“It’s okay,” Stephanie assured him. “I have seen clumsy people before, and it does not bother me.”

She winced again as another cluttering noise went through the air before adding, “But he is cute, though.”

Victor chuckled after Stephanie assured and remarked about Kevin, the mobile crane, as he came over to Stephanie, noticing her.

“Who’s she, boss?” Kevin asked.

Victor remembered what he asked earlier and said, “Right about that.”

“I’m Mrs. Dowager Hatt’s ‘special visitor.’” Stephanie answered Victor’s question. “I’m traveling around Sodor to make myself feel comfortable since I am a long way from home.”

Kevin and Victor looked confused.

“Aren’t you from the Mainland?” Kevin asked.

Stephanie shook her head no.

“I’m from America,” Stephanie answered. “I never came here before. No offense, I’ve never talked to steam engines or any engines before.”

Victor glanced over at Kevin before looking back at Stephanie.

“Err, Kevin,” Victor spoke, glancing over at Kevin. “Why don’t you have a check on Henry while I have a private conversation with…”

He drifted off as he glanced over at Stephanie, looking slightly confused about what her name was.

“Stephanie,” Stephanie answered.

“Stephanie, gracias,” Victor thanked in Spanish.

Kevin smiled and said, “Sure thing, boss!”

With that, he went backwards to Henry before bumping into some barrels, which swayed a little, but luckily one of the workmen caught the barrel before it fell over.

“Oops!” he exclaimed as Victor sighed and rolled his eyes. “Sorry!”

He went forward again and turned around, heading towards where Henry puffed into.

Victor remembered that he said ‘thank you’ in Spanish and glanced back over to Stephanie.

“Forgive me,” he apologized. “I said-”

“No, no, está bien,” Stephanie responded, assuring him in Spanish. “Aprendí español de mi… amigo del padre adoptivo.”

Victor was surprised to hear Stephanie respond to him in his language!

“¿Solías vivir en México o Cuba cuando eras mucho más joven?” Victor curiously asked.

“No, en realidad soy mitad español del lado de la familia de mi madre relacionada con la sangre,” Stephanie explained to him in Spanish, before pushing back a strand of hair from her face. “Nunca aprendí español de ella ya que tenía solo cuatro años antes de que ocurriera el accidente y fui adoptado de él y aprendí español.”

After Stephanie explained to him in Spanish, Victor looked thoughtful for a moment before asking, this time in English, “What happened in the accident?”

Stephanie hesitated for a good minute, rubbing her left arm as she glanced away from him, looking sad about the accident.

“I-I don’t want to talk about that, please.” Stephanie softly spoke, her head dipping down slightly towards the ground.

Victor understood that she looked uncomfortable explaining what had happened in the accident, feeling sorry for her.

“I understand.” Victor sighed. “When you feel comfortable, you may talk about it in your own time.”

Stephanie hesitated for a moment after Victor understood her discomfort about explaining something that had happened in her life and quietly nodded her head.

Victor glanced away for a moment, thinking to himself to cheer Stephanie up from being a little sad.

Then, he remembered one of the rules of the Steamworks that Stephanie did not know.

“Oh, there is something I forgot to say. It is about your hair,” Victor spoke gently. “You can’t be in here with it down. You might get it caught on fire from one of the workmen.”

Stephanie gasped slightly and immediately reached up with her hands, pushing her hair up into a low ponytail.

With one hand, Stephanie reached into the pocket of her blue jeans and took out a light blue rubber band she took with her.

Once she moved her long hair up into a low ponytail, Stephanie glanced over at Victor and chuckled nervously.

“Sorry, I did not know,” she apologized, looking slightly sheepish.

“No, it is alright,” Victor assured, as Henry came over to the two, looking better than before. “I did not notice you.”

A shy blush appeared on Stephanie’s cheeks as she rubbed the back of her neck, looking sheepish for being short.

“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Stephanie,” Victor said as Henry’s driver stepped out of him. “But, I might be busy with other things that Sir Topham Hatt wants me to work on. Some other day I could talk to you.”

Stephanie nodded her head and lifted her arms slightly for his driver to pick her up.

His driver placed his hands underneath her armpits and lifted Stephanie up, carrying her into Henry’s cab.

Once she was placed back down inside his cab, Henry whistled his whistle and continued on his way.

Victor whistled his whistle in response to Henry.

When they reached Knapford Station, Henry’s driver dropped Stephanie off at the station.

“Thank you, Henry!” Stephanie smiled, waving to him.

Henry responded with a whistle from his whistle, puffing off to collect other shipments.

Once Henry puffed away, Stephanie sighed and rubbed the back of her neck with her hand, wondering what else she could do.

But then she remembered the enormous library in Sir Topham Hatt’s home when she was wandering around.

It was filled with multiple books on tall shelves, and there were books of different sizes and thicknesses.

Deciding to look at the books, Stephanie walked back to Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion and entered the library.

Respectfully, Stephanie was quiet as she took out the thickest book off the shelf it was on and walked over to the table.

Once she had placed it down on the table, she looked at the cover, and it reads, “The History of Trains. Written by Sir Topham Hatt Ⅱ.”

This perked Stephanie’s attention and made her beam a little.

Before Stephanie could flip over to the first page of the book she had picked, she suddenly heard distant singing outside her window.

It caused her attention to perk a little from the sudden song.

So, she placed the book back to where she had found it before and went to find out what was making that noise.

Walking over to the window, she opened it and peered out, noticing Diesel pulling a long line of trucks behind him, while Diesel 10 was behind, pushing them.

He was singing a song that made Stephanie smile slightly with amusement.

“🎵I’m full of surprises,🎵” Diesel sang as he slowly drove along the rails. “🎵They ought to say of me.🎵”

Stephanie smiled as she continued listening to Diesel’s song, impressed at how remarkable his singing voice is.

“🎵I bring some razzle-dazzle to the yard,🎵” Diesel continued singing as there were some trucks behind him, looking slightly irritated as they listened to his singing. “🎵I’m full of surprises.🎵”

Before he could sing another line, a screeching voice started singing the same song that Diesel was singing as he winced.

Diesel 10 winced too from the sudden shrieking-like singing as Pinchy bolted up from laying on top of him, moving around like a dog’s head.

That voice was really not good and sounded like nails against a chalkboard, and it was coming from one of the trucks they were pulling and pushing.

Irritated, Diesel moved back at a fast pace and bumped the trucks, silencing the noise.

“Will you stop that!” he hissed. “It is hurting someone’s ears!”

The trucks instantly stopped ‘singing’ after Diesel 10 commanded, as Stephanie nodded in agreement and gently rubbed her left ear as Diesel 10’s pincher shook its head.

“I know, Pinchy.” Diesel 10 spoke gently. “The sooner we finish this job, the better we can have peace and quiet without them!”

Stephanie cocked her head to the side slightly before deciding to sing to them for a moment to cheer them up a little.

Standing up straight, Stephanie cleared her throat to herself for a moment after silence went through the air before starting to sing for them.

“🎵You said that we would always be,🎵” Stephanie began singing, as her voice sounded beautiful like an angel’s voice. “🎵Without you, I feel lost at sea.🎵”

Diesel and Diesel 10 looked surprised to hear Stephanie’s voice from Sir Topham Hatt’s library window as they glanced around for the source of it.

Even the trucks glanced around too when they heard Stephanie’s voice and did not interrupt either.

“🎵Through the darkness, you’d hide with me,🎵” Stephanie continued signing, patiently waiting for them to look over at where she was. “🎵Like the wind, we’d be wild and free.🎵”

Finally, they glanced over at where Stephanie was, seeing her peeking out of her window towards them as she stopped singing for a moment.

A suspicious expression appeared on their faces as they stopped for a moment, as the trucks looked confused.

A slight mischievous smile appeared on Stephanie’s face as she sang Diesel’s song that he was singing, except changing the lyrics a little.

“🎵He’s full of surprises,🎵” Stephanie sang, surprising Diesel 10 and the trucks, while Diesel, on the other wheel, blushed. “🎵Just like he’ll always be.🎵”

Stephanie softly smiled as she continued singing Diesel’s song as he glanced away from her, feeling a little sheepish.

“🎵He brings some razzle-dazzle to the yard,🎵” Stephanie continued as they started driving away from where they stopped. “🎵He’s not that bad.🎵”

She stopped after the two diesels disappeared and chuckled to herself, and finished singing the song Diesel was singing before, “🎵Well, maybe just a tad.🎵”

After Stephanie had finished the song, she chuckled for a moment to herself and closed the window, feeling happy she had cheered the two diesels up a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	7. The History of Machines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie found an old book in the library, and it was a list...

Once Stephanie had closed the window from singing towards Diesel and Diesel 10, she sighed and pushed back a loose strand of hair that was in front of her face.

Her long brown hair was pulled up from being inside the Steamworks from Henry, meeting Victor along with his cute and silly crane, Kevin.

Since she had encountered anthropomorphic locomotives before, Stephanie had been calm about it, feeling like she was born with this around her.

But the back of her head told her she does not belong on this island and belongs where she used to live, back in Marysville.

Ignoring the thought in the back of her head, Stephanie went back to the book on the desk she had recently pulled down from the shelves, sitting down in front of it on the chair.

She reached over to the light switch and flicked it on, shining the light onto the cover of the book.

The title of the book reads, “The History of Locomotives on The North Western Railway.”

Sir Topham Hatt’s name at the bottom too, which seemed confusing to Stephanie.

At first, Stephanie thought she might be in trouble if she was caught reading something personal from Sir Topham Hatt himself since the book has his name on it.

She hesitated for a moment, thinking to herself about the consequences she might get if either the maids discover her, butlers, or Sir Topham Hatt himself!

The hair on the back of Stephanie’s neck prickled slightly in fear about the thought, but gathering her courage, she decided to take the risk and have a quick look.

Shakily reaching over with a hand, Stephanie opened the book to the first page, allowing her curiosity.

The first page had the diagram of a FR 21/K2 class, except without a face.

This curious Stephanie as she read the page about the class, including how to operate the locomotive, the fuel types it needs, and how to repair it, too.

Stephanie continued reading about the locomotive through the three pages, which are written in perfect handwriting so that anyone else could study the designs.

Once she had reached the last page of the FR 21/K2 class, Stephanie flipped the next page of the book in the curiosity of what else could be inside, only to come to another diagram.

The next page showed a picture of an LB&SCR E2 class, and just like the first three pages, it explains how to operate the steam locomotive, what fuel types it needs, and how to repair it.

It took about five pages to explain everything, but Stephanie read through them carefully to examine every detail.

She flipped to the next engine, an LNER Gresley A1 that looked almost like Gordon, except a little different from how she remembered.

Stephanie flipped through the pages of the class like the previous pages.

She learned how to fix it if it was broken, even learning about what type of fuel it needs and how to operate it, too.

After flipping through nine pages of the class and the description, Stephanie moved onto the next locomotive, an LMS Stanier Class 5 “Black Five,” that looked like Henry.

Stephanie read through the pages of how the machine worked, which fuel the locomotive runs on, including the diagrams.

Stephanie even read about how to operate the locomotive through the pages.

It took about ten to eleven pages to understand the complete process of how the locomotive works until Stephanie moved onto the next one.

The next steam train was an L&YR Class 28, which curious Stephanie more as she became engrossed in the book.

She carefully read through the pages of how the locomotive works, with the parts and the fuel.

Stephanie even read about operating the locomotive, too, if she has the chance to run it.

After seven pages of the description, Stephanie stopped for a moment and glanced over at the clock, noticing it was noon.

A voice cleared his throat from the background, causing Stephanie to jolt after hearing the noise, her shoulder hunching slightly with worry.

“Miss Allen?” Stephanie slowly turned around and noticed it was Sir Topham Hatt’s butler, Reginald. “It is lunchtime.”

“Al-Already?” Stephanie stammered. “I was only reading for about…” 

She paused for a moment and glanced over at the clock for a moment. 

“For three or four hours?” Stephanie finished, shrugging her shoulders slightly to herself.

Reginald hummed to himself slightly in thought, remembering Stephanie entering the house at around eight or nine in the morning.

“You did come to the mansion around eight or nine o’clock in the morning,” Reginald explained, gently rubbing the bottom of his chin. “So, you did stay here in the library for about three or four hours.”

Stephanie turned back to him and said, “Thank you.”

Reginald nodded his head once and stepped into the library, noticing the book in front of Stephanie.

A shy blush appeared on Stephanie’s cheeks when Reginald noticed the book Sir Topham Hatt wrote, expecting punishment.

But, Reginald said instead, “I see you have found Sir Topham Hatt’s father’s book.”

Stephanie flinched when he explained as she slowly glanced over at it on the desk as the page was stopped on about the L&YR Class 28 steam train.

“This is his father’s book?” Stephanie cringed.

She felt like she was going to be in more trouble with Sir Topham Hatt himself.

Reginald nodded his head and said, “I did not expect you to be curious about reading books in a library. Most people I have known usually pull out their phone and text.”

Stephanie glanced to the side and nodded her head in agreement.

Her foster-father’s ‘friends’ would come over to have a visit with him from time to time from different countries and long-distance traveling.

Some would sit down on the couch and text on their phone or talk to someone, possibly either drinking tea or any beverages.

Reginald waited patiently for Stephanie to place a bookmark where she had left off and stood up from the desk, clicking the light off and pushing the chair in.

Once she had pushed her chair in and turned her lamp light off, Stephanie followed Reginald to the living room, where the long table was at.

To Stephanie’s relief, Sir Topham Hatt was not there.

Reginald pulled out a chair for Stephanie to sit down and placed a napkin on her lap.

Stephanie waited as Reginald prepared her lunch, looking confused by the kindness he was showing.

She said nothing about it but watched as he walked into the kitchen to fetch something.

On the other hand, she admits she is rather hungry because she had eaten nothing for a long time.

During the time, Stephanie quietly ate her lunch, thinking to herself about the strangeness around Sodor.

She felt like a stranger around here after Ms. Dowager Hatt found her at the docks.

Even though they are sentient, it does not help Stephanie but felt like she is being watched.

Sir Topham Hatt’s butler noticed that she was being weirdly slow with her eating, even after having four tuna sandwiches.

“Is there something the matter, Ms. Allen?” Reginald asked. “You are eating too slow on your food.”

Stephanie stopped eating and glanced up at Sir Topham Hatt’s butler, answering, “Do you think I am a stranger?”

Reginald cocked an eyebrow at Stephanie, looking confused.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked.

“Everyone is weirdly nice to me,”‌ Stephanie continued, placing her sandwich down on the plate. “I just came from America here with no passports or IDs and came underneath Ms. Dowager Hatt’s wing unwillingly.”

She rubbed the back of her left hand nervously.

Reginald thought to himself after Stephanie explained her thoughts about why everyone is so friendly to her.

He answered after thinking to himself for a moment, “Because you were never a threat to us, Ms. Allen.”

Stephanie perked and glanced over at him.

“You may be adventurous, curious, and attend to slow everyone down a little.” Reginald continued, causing Stephanie to blush slightly out of sheepishness. “But, you were never a threat. You are only a lost little girl and maybe a runaway from your father.”

She glanced down at her hands after Reginald had mentioned her father, mentally thinking about it.

“Now, don’t mind me, but you might as well finish your lunch,” Reginald gently spoke. “You don’t want to miss out on what else that book holds.”

Stephanie glanced down at her sandwich for a moment before nodding her head.

“And, I will tell Sir Topham Hatt that you have read his father’s book,” he added.

Her blush brightened a little when he mentioned Sir Topham Hatt’s father.

Once she had finished her ninth sandwich, Stephanie went back to the library and turned the lamp on.

She sat down on the same chair she was sitting on and opened the book to the bookmarked page.

Stephanie flipped to the next page, and it was about an Avonside Saddle Tank.

This locomotive piqued Stephanie’s curiosity by how it looked and operated.

She had never heard of an Avionside Saddle Tank locomotive.

So, Stephanie read through the pages, studying how the steam train works, the fuel, including the parts.

It lasted through eight pages before flipping to the next locomotive type, a GER class C53.

Stephanie read about the GWR 5700 Classes, CR Class 812, BR Class 08, and many more!

She joked to herself that this book is never-ending.

But, while studying through the pages, a steam train caught Stephanie’s attention.

It was a Nevada Central No. 2 steam train, and underneath the diagram was the name ‘Casey Jones Sr’ and ‘Casey Jones Jr.’

The first name had the words ‘Deceased’ at the bottom of the title, but the second one did not.

However, the second name has ‘Replaced’ at the end.

It saddened Stephanie a little when she read that word, feeling sorry for the locomotive.

After she had read through nine pages of the locomotive, Stephanie flipped over to the next locomotive.

Half of her mind expected another steam train, bus, or any other locomotive.

But it was a robot instead!

Stephanie was surprised to see a robot instead of a locomotive in the book but curiously read about it.

She read through the pages about the robot until Stephanie got to the back of the book.

After reading the last page, Stephanie lifted the book from the desk she was reading to close it.

During that movement, something fell out from inside the book.

It landed on the ground between her sock-covered feet and the desk.

At first, Stephanie felt worried that she might have accidentally dropped a page from the book.

And get in trouble with Sir Topham Hatt if he notices some crucial pages were missing.

But her curiosity, on the other hand, got the best of her.

Stephanie closed the book she was reading through and reached down to the paper that had dropped out.

It was a folded piece of paper instead of being a page, and Stephanie feels more curious about what it could be.

Opening the folded paper, Stephanie noticed it was a map!

The map had different spots of various places where some locomotives Stephanie had read from the book.

Some are miles away from where the mansion is, but one of them was close and hidden deep inside the forest.

One had a JNR Class D51, but the spot was crossed off with ink that it was difficult for her to read.

Stephanie felt excited to save the locomotives that have been locked away for a long time.

Despite being new on the island, Stephanie felt like it was unfair on the old steam trains.

They have been working here for a long time, only to be scrapped the next week or more if they started showing age.

She wanted to help people, even locomotives, who are kind to other people.

Folding the map back, Stephanie tucked it into her pocket and closed the book, placing it back on the shelf.

After placing the book back on the shelf, Stephanie exited the library.

Stopping in the middle of the hallway while heading towards her room, she glanced over at the clock.

It reads 5:45, past lunchtime, which meant she had been reading for a much longer time than what she suspected.

Stephanie sighed and rubbed the back of her neck with her hand, feeling most of her bones ache slightly from leaning over the desk reading books.

Maybe she was reading a little too much in the library.

But, since she was a little girl, Stephanie loved reading books, remembering times when she would travel beyond worlds and learn new things that she had never found out before.

A soft smile appeared on her face when she remembered as a kid before her parents died.

Always wanting to read thicker books at the library and asking her mother to read or tell her a story.

She sighed and exited out of the hallway, heading towards her room to have the rest of the day off from reading.

As she had the map of the lost locomotives tucked into the pocket of her blue jeans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	8. The Train, The Robot, and The 81-Year-Old Legend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie decided to follow the map she had found but did not expect what she had found...

The next day, Stephanie politely asked Sir Topham Hatt if she could venture around the forest.

At first, Sir Topham Hatt was suspicious of why Stephanie wanted to venture into the forest.

But he shrugged it off his shoulders and gave permission to her, telling her to return to the mansion at seven o’clock.

Stephanie understood and agreed to the time before heading off to the forest.

Luckily, she took the map she had found inside Sir Topham Hatt’s father’s book from the shelf.

Stephanie continued walking towards the forest, following the map in her hands drawn on paper.

Along the way, Stephanie got a little sidetracked when she discovered some blackberry bushes along the side.

She picked some of them from the bushes to munch on but kept going on her way.

At some times, she read the directions on the hand-written map in her hand to see where she was going.

Soon, Stephanie approached the spot where the two machines were inside and found a rusty, old shed in the middle of the forest.

Curious about what could be inside the shed, Stephanie folded the map back up and placed it in her pocket.

She walked up to the front of the shed and noticed it was locked with a chain.

But it has rusted since how many years have passed.

Stephanie found a good-sized rock in her hand and smashed the rusty old lock with it.

The lock quickly fell off after she had smashed it once with her strength as it collapsed on the ground in the tall grass.

Once it was opened, Stephanie opened the shed after unraveling the chain from the handles.

Underneath her feet were old railroad tracks that lead outside the forest.

The reason no one could follow the railroad tracks is because it is hidden underneath the tall grass.

After smashing the old lock with the rock, she opened the doors with her strength.

She could see there was something inside the rusty, old shed.

At first, it made Stephanie feel curious and suspicious, but she gathered her courage and entered the shed.

Once Stephanie had entered the shed, she heard snoring from inside, and it felt almost cold.

Stephanie shuddered a little from the feeling but stayed inside the shed.

She pulled a flashlight out from her sweater pocket she had taken along with her and turned the light on.

After turning the light on, she could see a locomotive inside that was asleep.

It was bigger than Thomas himself but nearly the size of Gordon, too.

The steam locomotive inside the shed is a Nevada Central No. 2 type and looked like one from the book that Sir Topham Hatt’s father wrote!

She had found the broken-down steam locomotive!

The steam locomotive looked like he or she was sleeping, as snoring sounds were coming from it and moving up and down gently.

Being as quiet as she could, Stephanie slowly walked around the sleeping steam locomotive.

From the design of the steam locomotive, Stephanie could see a four-wheeled tender behind him.

It was not full of coal, but it was empty too.

Maybe it was from the people who have put him or her in the shed after noticing he is showing age.

On top of his head, which had not fallen off, was a small rusty red headlamp in a baseball cap-shaped casing.

A tall steam dome with a whistle on top was near his cab, and a small cowcatcher was on his front.

Its front has a vague shape of a face, with two headlights in place of eyes closed and a cylinder-shaped structure protruding forward functioning as its nose.

The locomotive was nearly rusted, and the colors were almost gone.

Some areas of the paint were cracked, and the wheels were covered in moss and vines.

There was a human-like robot next to him, lying against the wall on the ground and had vines wrapped around the feet and legs.

From the way the angle is, it looked like it was sleeping too.

Not only that, but it was freakishly taller than Stephanie, too, if it was standing up from being asleep.

The robot had short green hair that flops over one eye, freckles that scattered across the cheeks.

The body looked almost like a male, but Stephanie could see there were some female traits too.

The robot looked like it was wearing what seemed to be a uniform.

But it was so worn out that it did not have any color.

It even almost fell off of her body.

The inside of the wooden shed was old and rickety.

Cobwebs decorated all around the corners and dangled off the ceiling.

Some were even attached to the snoring locomotive and the sleeping robot, both semi-covered in dust.

Stephanie felt scared about the sleeping locomotive and robot but stopped herself when she took a second glance at the engines.

They had been alone in the shed for a long time, feeling sorry for them.

Oddly enough, it reminds Stephanie of a familiar feeling she always had back at her ‘home.’

Sighing, she inched herself inside the shed slowly, trying not to wake them up either by accident or on purpose.

She tiptoed over to the sleeping robot first, looking at the size, before looking at the body structure close up.

Using her hands, after turning the flashlight off, she brushed the dust and cobwebs off of the robot with her hands gently.

Stephanie did not mind the spiders falling off of the robot but felt a little scared when a bigger one appeared before disappearing into the darkness of the grass on the ground.

Once all the cobwebs and dust had been brushed off the sleeping robot, she could now clearly see small details.

The giant robot was muscular and had no power inside from how it was drooping against the wall, but the most curious thing from Stephanie was that it had a gem on its back.

Stephanie felt the gem on her back, just in case it cracked from carelessness years ago.

As she looked around the giant robot to see how to turn it on from being off, she felt a twitch from the arm, causing her to flinch and freeze in fear, holding her breath slightly.

Slowly, the robot woke up, blinking a few times as it sat up slowly from leaning.

Then, noticing Stephanie in front of it with a handful of moss in her hand, frozen in her spot.

She stared up at her with amazement and wonder, but with fear, too.

Stephanie was admired at how massive the robot was compared to her and Sir Topham Hatt.

“Who… Who are you?” the robot slowly asked, sounding like a female but also had some male traits.

She slowly sat up from leaning back against the old, rickety wall behind her, glancing around at her surroundings as the vines that connected her to snap off from her body gently.

“What year is it?” she asked.

“Uh,” Stephanie spoke, causing her to glance back over to her.

She was a little scared of her but was still brave enough to get close to her.

“The year is 2022,” Stephanie answered.

“‘2022?’” she repeated, sitting up slightly from her spot. “We’ve been asleep for eighty-one years?”

“It seems like it.” Stephanie softly spoke. “But don’t worry. I’m going to get you two out of this shed once I get all these vines off.”

A slight smile appeared on her face as Stephanie tried her best to get all the vines off her body.

She even brushed the moss off of her body and legs, too.

Once the moss was off the robot’s body, Stephanie glanced down at her palms to check for injuries but instead saw that it was stained green.

So Stephanie would wipe her hand on the pant legs of her jeans at her thighs.

Her palms were still stained green from the juices but continued back with what she had started with.

She snapped the vines off with no struggle, even getting into the tiny grooves where it was difficult for her to move.

“What is your name, little girl?” she asked.

“Stephanie,” Stephanie responded before pausing as she struggled with a vine.

After a few tugs, Stephanie managed to get it off. 

“Stephanie Nova Rose Allen.” Stephanie finished before moving a green-stained hand over to her. “You?”

“Moon,” the giant female robot answered. “Moon Gemcitor Midnight.”

“That’s a mouthful of a name.” Stephanie smiled as she wiped her hands on her pant legs before mentioning the sleeping locomotive. “What about him? What’s his name?”

“He’s Casey Jones Jr,” Moon answered. “Can you wake him up, though? It’s kind of hard for me to wake him up because I don’t have much power to get up from the ground.”

Stephanie nodded her head and stood up from the ground as her pant legs were covered in moss and stained green around her knees and thighs.

She walked over to the front of Casey Jr, thinking to herself for a moment, before softly speaking, “Hey, hey!”

No response from him, except for the snoring from him as he continued to sleep.

Sighing, Stephanie got up close to Casey Jr’s face by stepping over the rails underneath him, gently patting the side of his face with her hand to wake him up.

“Hey, wake up!” Stephanie softly spoke as she gently patted his cheek with her hand.

That seemed to make him wake up now.

Slowly, he started waking up from his sleep, groaning softly and slowly moving up, stopping a few times as his metal body creaked slightly with old age.

After moving up and yawning, he used his piston arms by his sides to sleepily rub his eyes before noticing a curious little girl in front of him.

Startled by the sudden appearance of the little girl, he yelped in startlement as he wheeled backwards before wincing when something cracked loudly.

Stephanie was also startled but winced after something cracked along with Moon.

“Are you alright, Casey?” Moon asked, moving up slightly from where she was, worried about her friend.

“Nope!” Casey Jr responded, moving his body around slowly. “I think I might have popped a screw loose or somethin’!”

His voice had a slight southern slang in it, but he could speak normally.

“L-Let me look,” stammered Stephanie before moving around him as he watched with a slightly confused look on his face.

“Who’s she?” Casey Jr asked, glancing over at Moon after staring at Stephanie for a moment.

“I’m Stephanie,” answered Stephanie as she looked around at his body, noticing a few rusted areas and a few missing screws. “Stephanie Nova Rose Allen.”

“Well,” chuckled Casey Jr, as he reached up to his ‘hat’ on top of his head and took it off as if he was saying hello to her. “‘Scuse me for my rudeness back there, but my name is Casey, Casey Jones, Jr.”

Stephanie giggled as she walked around the other side before noticing there was a crack in the side of his cab from his sudden jolt.

“Uh,” Stephanie worriedly spoke as she winced. “A couple of screws were loose that had already popped out, except there is a crack.”

Casey Jr sighed as he moved his body down as he got comfortable on the spot where he was as Stephanie walked back around to the front of him.

“Seems like my age has appeared at a faster rate in how many years have passed.” Casey Jr sighed, moving a wheel gently in front of him.

“Mine, too.” nodded Moon, mentioning the cracked skin on her left arm. “If someone else than Stephanie sees us, we might be sent to the smelter’s yard for good.”

A shudder went down Casey Jr’s back when he heard the last words from Moon.

Stephanie looked confused by the shuddering Casey Jr did and the solemn expression on Moon’s face.

“The ‘smelter’s yard?’” Stephanie curiously asked as she gently cocked her head to the side. “What’s that?”

Moon and Casey Jr glanced over at her before sighing heavily.

“A smelter’s yard is where an old train or robot, like us, is where we are shunted to if Sir Topham Hatt finds us and melts down to nothing,” explained Moon.

“In other words,” spoke Casey Jr, still shuddering slightly in fear. “We will be dead if we are found out by him.”

A horrified expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after Casey Jr and Moon explained, gasping softly.

“What?” Stephanie spoke, sounding disbelieved. “But, th-that means that you two become a pot filled with molten steel?!”

They both nodded their heads in response to Stephanie’s disbelieved question, looking sad and glum.

Stephanie glanced away from the two in thought to herself, feeling scared and angry at Sir Topham Hatt for doing that to old and worn-out machines.

It was not fair for them to be treated like this!

Stephanie angrily stamped her foot down on the ground, with a determined and furious expression on her face as she glanced back up at them.

It made a small dent in the ground after stomping her foot on the ground, perking Moon’s attention.

“I won’t let that happen!” Stephanie snapped, startling the two as they flinched from her sudden snap.

They looked surprised to see an angry expression on Stephanie’s face.

Stephanie smacked a hand over her flat chest, puffing it out slightly to show that she was determined and brave.

“I, Stephanie Nova Rose Allen,” Stephanie sternly spoke. “Won’t let Casey Jones, Jr, and Moon Gemcitor Midnight to be taken to the smelter’s yard and turned into molten steel from Sir Topham Hatt!”

They were both surprised to hear from Stephanie after she had snapped.

They glanced at each other for a moment before glancing back at her with slight concern.

“How?” Casey Jr asked, shrugging his pistons a little. “The both of us combined and you pullin’ me would take days until Sir Topham Hatt notices that somethin’ is goin’ on and sees you with us. He’ll be cross with you and take us to the smelter’s yard!”

Stephanie nodded her head in agreement, thinking to herself of another idea than the one she thought of before.

Then, a second idea popped into Stephanie’s head.

“Wait right here,” Stephanie smiled. “I know a friend of mine that could help us. But, trust me on this, okay?”

They both glanced at each other again before glancing over at Stephanie and nodded their heads.

“Okay,” she exited out of the shed before saying, “I’ll be back sooner or later!” and closed the doors behind her back before using a rubber band in her hair to keep the doors closed.

She walked out of the forest, forgetting about the stained pants she had wiped her hands on from the greenery she was pulling.

After reaching Knapford Station, she remembered seeing some trucks at the back of the station.

So, she headed over to the shunting yard.

To her luck, Thomas was there in the yard, helping with a box-shaped locomotive, which caused Stephanie to stop when she noticed the locomotive.

It was like the one from the picture of Sir Topham Hatt’s father’s book!

The small engine is a PRR Class A6 but looked a little modified from the picture.

The PRR Class A6 is painted dark green on the bottom half of his body and yellow on the top half, with red buffer beams and black wheels. 

He has the number sixty-eight on his sides in black, surrounded by a white circle with a black outline.

At first, Stephanie was surprised to see the little engine but smiled softly and decided to ask him.

She walked up to him after he had pushed some trucks to the side before noticing her.

“Oh, hello there!” he cheerfully greeted. “My name is Philip! What’s yours?”

“Stephanie,” Stephanie answered back, glancing around for Thomas. “Stephanie Nova Rose Allen.”

Philip, the box-cab diesel locomotive, smiled before looking confused when he noticed Stephanie was looking around.

“Who are you looking for?” Philip asked.

“Thomas,” Stephanie answered. “Have you seen him?”

Philip nodded his head and went back a little, at a fast pace to Stephanie’s surprise.

“Hey, Thomas!” Philip called out to him.

From the back of the shunting yard, Stephanie could see a well-known steam locomotive and perked after hearing his name while moving backwards.

He stopped after hearing Philip call out his name and waited for him to come over to where he was.

Philip accidentally bumped into a truck after Thomas stopped, causing him to wince slightly.

“Hey!” snapped the truck that Philip accidentally bumped into. “Watch where you are going, shrimp!”

“Oops!” Philip blushed. “Sorry!”

He moved away from the crossed truck and said to Thomas, “There’s a little girl with the name of Stephanie, who wanted to tell you something!”

“‘Stephanie?’” Thomas repeated with confusion. “She wanted me?”

Philip nodded in response to Thomas’s confusing question, and Thomas continued backing until he stopped at a point, which clicked and allowed him to come up to Stephanie.

Once he was close to Stephanie, Stephanie said, speaking to Thomas with no signs of shyness, “There is something I want to tell you, Thomas!”

“You can talk?” Thomas softly gasped. “I thought you were mute!”

Giggling, Stephanie responded, “No, Thomas. I was too shy to talk to you back at the hospital because I had never met an anthropomorphic steam locomotive before.”

Thomas understood what she meant before Philip looked confused when he came over to hear what the conversation was.

“What’s ‘anthropomorphic?’” Philip asked.

“Anthropomorphic means that a machine, animal, or any non-living object, no offense, can talk, have feelings, or be half-human.” Stephanie quickly explained.

“None taken,” Thomas smiled as Philip glanced to the side to understand what she said. “So, what is it you wanted to tell me?”

“Oh.” Stephanie cleared her throat and quickly explained to Thomas, “There’s an old steam locomotive in an old shed back in the forest. Not only a steam locomotive, but I found a robot too!”

Thomas’s eyes popped wide like saucers, asking, “What’s the robot’s name?”

“Her name is Moon!” Stephanie smiled before shaking her head. “Introductions later, but I need your help along with your driver and fireman.”

Both Thomas’s driver and fireman peered out of Thomas’s window curiously, along with Philip’s driver.

“If these two are not out of the shed at any moment, Sir Topham Hatt might send them over to the smelter’s yard!” Stephanie panicked. “So, I would like your help!”

Thomas nodded, and Thomas’s driver opened the door of his cab, mentioning to come inside.

“Well, show us the way!” Thomas smiled as she climbed inside.

After she climbed inside his cab, Thomas whistled his whistle and puffed forward as Stephanie poked her head out of his window, the best she could since she was smaller compared to the adults.

Stephanie told Thomas’ driver which way to the shed by her memory since she had been in the forest a couple of times.

Philip did not follow them, though, because he decided to stay behind and make sure none of the Troublesome Trucks told Sir Topham Hatt.

Once Thomas reached the shed, Stephanie stepped out of the cab after being picked up by his driver and walked over to it.

She unwrapped the rubber band that held the doors closed before placing it back into her hair in a low ponytail.

After she unwrapped the rubber band from the doorknobs, Stephanie pulled it back into her hair, pulling it into a low ponytail.

She, Thomas’s driver, including his fireman, opened the shed doors to see Casey Jones Jr inside, along with Moon Gemcitor Midnight.

Thomas was surprised to see the two inside, as they were surprised to see Thomas too.

“You brought him?!” exclaimed Moon, looking more panicked as Casey Jr was, trying to get up from her spot to run away from them.

“C-Calm down, Moon,” Stephanie assured, walking up to them.

“‘Calm down?!’” exclaimed Casey Jr. “We’re not goin’ calm down! He’s goin’ to tell Sir Topham Hatt that we are in this shed and-”

They were interrupted when Thomas whistled his whistle loudly to stop him from talking, as they both glanced over at him and instantly stopped talking.

After they had stopped talking, Thomas sighed and gently puffed forward, causing them to scoot back a little from him.

To Thomas’s slight surprise, Casey Jr’s back wheels of his coal tender were almost rolled up the side of the shed.

There were no buffers inside the shed to add.

“Listen.” Thomas softly spoke as he puffed towards them but stopped after only an inch.

They tried scooting back away from them, despite being weak and empty of water and coal.

Casey Jr’s back wheels of his body were nearly on the wall, and the shed has not fallen over yet from his weight!

Only creaks came from it a little as Casey Jr’s tender’s weight leaned against it.

Stephanie was half worried and half surprised at how dense the shed was to hold Casey Jr’s weight against the side.

“I am not going to tell Sir Topham Hatt that you two are in this shed,” Thomas assured them. “We are going to help you two to return to your normal state.”

They looked suspicious of Thomas as he glanced away for a moment, thinking to himself.

“I have done this before,” Thomas continued. “These two engines were old and almost falling apart, like the both of you.”

Stephanie absent-mindedly listened to the story, too, wondering about whom the two old steam trains were.

They both glanced at each other as Thomas continued speaking, moving back forward an inch.

They were still not trustful towards Thomas after Stephanie brought him to them.

But listening to his story, they were curious but suspicious.

“Their names were Hiro and Glynn.” Thomas named off the two steam engines he rescued.

A slightly surprised expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after Thomas mentioned Glynn, who was the engine that worked at Ulfstead Castle.

“I thought after I first had met Hiro was to fix him all by myself, but I needed help from my friends,” Thomas explained as his driver and fireman came out of his cab, as one of them had a stick with a hook on the top.

At first, they both recoiled when they saw the object in Thomas’s fireman’s hand but relaxed slightly.

“There were a few close calls from Spencer,” Thomas explained before a slightly annoyed expression appeared on his face as he glanced to the side. “Who will tell Sir Topham Hatt or anyone else about his find of any old engines?”

A shudder came from both of them from the thought of seeing Spencer telling Sir Topham Hatt and the others of his find.

Stephanie felt more worried about seeing Spencer or about Sir Topham Hatt being angry at her.

“But we managed to fix Hiro and send him back to Japan!” Thomas beamed. “Sometimes, he visits Sodor a few times or more.”

A soft smile appeared on Casey Jr’s face as Thomas finished his first story before moving onto the next.

He slowly moved down onto the rails after backing up into the back of the shed, hearing a creak coming from it.

Moon relaxed a little but was still concerned.

“For Glynn, I showed him to the Earl of Sodor after Marion had found him in the forest during Christmas Day, and he restored him,” Thomas explained, feeling happy that they were starting to trust him. “Now, I will do the same with you two.”

They glanced at each other after Thomas had finished his stories but still looked concerned.

“I’ll take you to Sodor’s Steamworks, where Victor will restore you all to your original states!” Thomas continued assuring. “But, we all need to be careful. Spencer might see you two and try to take you to the smelter’s yard. Will you trust me, like how you trusted Stephanie?”

Stephanie nodded her head and placed her hands together.

“Please understand.” Stephanie softly responded, looking like she was on the verge of crying. “We’re not the bad guys. We just wanted to help you two. Trust us.”

They hesitated for a moment after Stephanie softly pleaded with them before sighing.

“Okay,” Moon finally spoke. “We will trust you this time, but if you two do take us to the smelter’s yard, we will hate you for eternity.”

Casey Jr lightly huffed as he nodded his head in response to Moon’s warning.

A soft chuckle came from Stephanie and Thomas as he puffed forward as his driver coupled him up with Casey Jr with the rod in his hands.

“We understand,” Stephanie assured, gently rubbing the side of Casey Jr’s face.

Casey Jr looked slightly surprised after Stephanie understood him and watched as Thomas’s driver and fireman helped get the vines off his wheels and pulled the moss off.

Once Casey Jr’s wheels had been cleared, Stephanie, along with Thomas’s driver and fireman, carried Moon in Casey Jr’s cab.

They placed Moon back down on the ground carefully as Stephanie stayed inside to keep her from accidentally falling out.

Since Thomas is going backwards to exit the shed, Stephanie has to help him go the way back out of the forest, or else they might be lost like them.

Thomas’s driver and fireman stepped out of Casey Jr’s cab and went back to Thomas.

“Stephanie,” spoke Thomas’ driver as he popped his head out. “Will you show us the way back to the Steamworks?”

Stephanie nervously bit the bottom of her lip for a moment before remembering the way to the Steamworks.

Henry was derailed once, and Stephanie climbed into his cab from Charlie to see Victor since she was a little bored.

“Yeah!” Stephanie beamed as she gave the thumbs up. “Leave it to me!”

So, as Thomas puffed backwards, Stephanie told him which direction to go to the Steamworks as she had her head out the window.

Moon watched with a slightly nervous expression on her face as Stephanie continued giving directions.

Casey Jr had the same slight expression on his face, too, as he watched Stephanie call out the instructions.

Everything went well, except for maybe a few slight complaints from Thomas of the feeling of grass against his axles.

Casey Jr and Moon chuckled slightly at the complaints Thomas gave during the way out of the forest.

Once they had exited the forest, Casey Jr noticed something silver passing along the horizon.

He squinted his eyes and leaned forward a little while raising a piston to his eyes as if it was a hand.

Thomas was surprised to see Casey Jr’s talent to go that, imagining it like Diesel 10’s pincher.

“What’s wrong, Casey?” Thomas asked, noticing Casey Jr squinting his eyes.

Casey Jr did not answer for a moment before asking after Thomas stopped for a moment, “Is there anybody you remember who is painted silver?”

Thomas’s eyes popped wide in shock as his driver and fireman glanced at each other worriedly.

“Uh, oh,” he winced, causing Casey Jr to glance down at him.

“What is it?” Casey Jr asked, sounding confused.

“Spencer is painted silver!” Thomas panicked.

Stephanie peered out from the window and saw Spencer, the painted silver steam train, is heading over to where they are!

“Oh, sugar, honey, iced tea.” Stephanie softly cursed before glancing back over at Thomas. “Thomas! He’s coming over here!”

Thomas gasped as his fireman peeked out of the window, noticing Spencer too.

“Cinders and ashes!” exclaimed Thomas before whistling his whistle for the switchman to switch him from the rails he was on.

Luckily, the switchman heard his whistle and switched him onto a different line, hiding him along with Casey Jr and Moon in the forest again.

After Thomas hid in the forest, Spencer passed by where they were hiding in a flash of silver, luckily did not see them.

He thundered past them with a long line of coaches as Casey Jr and Moon stayed perfectly still.

Once Spencer was gone, Thomas exited out where he was hiding with Casey Jr, who looked relieved but a little terrified as he was shaking from funnel to wheel in fear.

“That was a close one, Thomas!” Casey Jr sighed in relief once Spencer was gone. “I thought we were going to be scrapped!”

Thomas nodded in agreement before puffing away and heading backwards towards the Steamworks.

When Thomas entered the Steamworks backwards, Victor came to see who came inside.

But he was confused to see Thomas entering backwards.

After Thomas had entered the Steamworks with what he was pulling along with him, Victor was surprised to see Casey Jr.

“Fizzling fireboxes!” Victor exclaimed. “Who is this magnificent train?”

Casey Jr’s cheeks blushed slightly from the compliment Victor gave about him.

“I’m, uh, Casey,” he introduced himself. “Casey Jones, Jr.”

Instantly, Thomas’s eyes popped wide like saucers with his jaw dropped to his front buffers, along with Victor.

“Bust my buffers!” Thomas exclaimed as his driver uncoupled him. “The Casey Jones Jr?!”

Casey Jr looked confused by the exclamation Thomas did.

“Uh, yes?” Casey Jr answered, cocking an eyebrow. “Why?”

“You’re the famous circus train that pulled the most famous circus around!” Victor exclaimed. “We have heard stories about you for a long time! I’m surprised to see you are in my workshop pulled by Thomas.”

Casey Jr glanced over at Thomas, who was smiling.

“I suppose your name is Thomas?” Casey Jr asked, smirking slightly.

Thomas whistled his whistle in response to Casey Jr’s confused question.

“Thomas the Tank Engine is my full name.” Thomas cheekily smiled.

“And, I am Victor,” Victor smiled. “Victor the… Busy Engine.”

Then, Stephanie peered her head out of Casey Jr’s cab, responding, “What about Moon?”

“Who’s ‘Moon?’” Victor asked, along with Kevin the crane, who came up to his side to see Casey Jr better.

“I’m Moon,” responded Moon from inside Casey Jr’s as Thomas’ driver and fireman came out from Thomas’s cab and helped her out of his cab. “Moon Gemcitor Midnight.”

Victor looked surprised to see her being carefully taken out from Casey Jr’s cab, seeing how tall she was when she sat down on a crate.

“Victor,” Stephanie spoke, stepping out from Casey Jr’s cab. “Can you fix them both? But please keep them a secret. I don’t want them both to be taken to the smelter’s yard if Sir Topham Hatt sees them or hears about them. It’s not right and human for them to be scrapped because of their old age. They are more than machines.”

Moon and Casey Jr perked as Stephanie spoke to Victor, who looked surprised too.

“They are like us,” Stephanie spoke, finishing her words. “Please fix them.”

She tried her best not to sound like she was pleading with Victor to fix Casey Jr and Moon, but Victor understood that she was horrified and worried about them.

So, assuringly, he responded, “It’s okay. We will do our best to fix them. If you want, you could come here to see how the process is doing.”

Stephanie sighed in relief after Victor assured her they would fix them the best they could, as Casey Jr and Moon smiled.

“But,” Victor spoke, puffing towards the two. “I need the pictures of them both, so I know which colors Casey Jr would be in and what type of parts Moon needs. It would be awkward for them to have different looks or colors.”

Stephanie nodded her head in agreement with Victor before thinking to herself, remembering Sir Topham Hatt’s father’s book.

It had a picture of Casey Jr with Moon inside the book Sir Topham Hatt’s father wrote back at the library!

“Wait a moment,” Stephanie spoke before turning to Thomas. “Can you take me back to Knapford station?”

Thomas nodded and allowed her to climb into his cab with the help of his driver.

Once his driver picked Stephanie up from the ground and entered inside his cab with her.

Thomas whistled his whistle and exited out of the Steamworks.

He quickly puffed away at Knapford Station and dropped Stephanie off before heading back to work so he would not make it look suspicious.

Stephanie quickly went back to Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion as fast as she could.

Victor took his time asking questions to Moon and Casey Jr.

He asked about what their past was like before coming to Sodor.

Casey Jr answered he was named after a famous train engineer who risked his life to stop his speeding train from crashing and luckily saved many passengers from that risk.

He did not say who was on the train when the original Casey Jones crash.

The story amazed Kevin that he accidentally dropped a couple of rods on the ground, slightly embarrassing Victor a little.

But Casey Jr said it was okay because he had seen many clumsy cranes back at his home.

Next was Moon, where she explained she was built to help worn-out or sick workers with their jobs but was hated by people because they assumed she was ‘better than anyone else.’

Victor felt irritated about those people who judge Moon for it and responded that Moon is just perfect the way she is.

Moon blushed a little from his response and thanked Victor for his kindness.

She said she once was in an accident that nearly destroyed her, but the people eventually restored her.

Instead of letting her go back to work, they had to put her away with Casey Jr.

Casey Jr added his side of the story was when his age came to him, and he had to be put away, along with Moon.

Soon, they were both forgotten and left behind in that shed together for over eighty-one years until Stephanie found them, who were brave enough to go through the forest.

They shuddered slightly at the thought of Spencer seeing them here and scrapped them for good.

Victor knew Spencer would do that to any worn-out trains that were old.

He assured them they were not going to be in trouble with Spencer and made sure they were not going anywhere either.

Victor even told them about his story, where he was once from Cuba, his home country, and was sent to Sodor.

Since he did not learn how to speak or understand English, he only responded in Spanish.

On the adventure across the sea, he met Luke at a stop at the docks of Ireland.

He is a narrow-gauge steam locomotive painted in pea-green and who is excited about going to Sodor.

He asked him if he was going to Sodor too, but he did not understand his language.

Once Luke was on the ship, they continued with the adventure.

But during it, Victor’s chains snapped, and he was loose on the ship.

They had reached Sodor, and Luke excitedly asked if he could be picked up first, and the worker agreed.

Victor tried telling them he had a problem, but no one could understand his language, which scared him.

What makes matters worse was that Luke accidentally bumped into Victor, causing him to fall off the ship and land in the ocean!

Casey Jr and Moon were surprised about Victor’s story, curious about what else happened.

Luckily, he had landed in an area where there was less ocean, but his firebox was covered in seaweed, barnacles, and sand.

So he had to go to the Steamworks to be restored.

There, he learned how to speak English, and the first word he said was the color ‘red.’

He stayed there to help other engines to be restored and to be fixed.

Thomas had heard about the story of what happened from Luke, who has been blaming himself for the accident.

He wondered if the ‘yellow engine’ had survived in the ocean water and been restored in the Steamworks.

Thomas went through an adventure to ‘rescue’ Luke from Diesel, a devious black diesel that likes to make trouble on the island of Sodor.

But he showed Luke that he used to be the yellow engine, and Diesel had some punishment for his devious deed.

Casey Jr and Moon decided to watch out for Diesel when they saw him on their way.

Then, to their confusion, a bus appeared next to the Steamworks.

The bus is painted in red livery, and his number plate reads, ‘CRD54.’

He looked curious as he glanced around but noticed Casey Jr, who looked surprised before becoming shy.

Stephanie stepped out of his door after they opened and walked up to one of the workers.

“Why hello there,” Casey Jr greeted as Stephanie flipped through the pages of the book in her arms. “What’s your name?”

“Um, Bertie.” Bertie greeted back. “Are you Casey Jones Jr?”

“Yep,” Casey Jr nodded. “That’s me.”

Then, he had a slightly confused and worried expression on his face.

“Did Stephanie tell you ‘bout me?” he asked, sounding suspicious.

From the back of Stephanie’s head, she blushed slightly with sheepiness and shyness.

“A little, Mr. Jr,” answered Bertie. “But she even told me to keep it a secret from Sir Topham Hatt himself.”

Casey Jr and Moon sighed in relief before Stephanie opened the book, flipping through the book’s pages a little before stopping on one page with a picture of Casey Jr on one page and Moon on the other.

They both had the original colors in the pictures and the same designs they were too before their ages came to them and before the crash for Moon.

The worker took the book from Stephanie after showing the pictures to him, then showed it to Victor.

Victor looked thoughtful for a moment as he stared at the pictures before smiling gently.

“Thank you, Stephanie,” he thanked as Stephanie smiled softly, and the worker closed the book with the two bookmarks in it. “We’ll get to work right now.”

A happy and excited squeal came from Stephanie after Victor agreed to fix them.

Confused expressions appeared on Victor’s, Bertie’s, Kevin’s, Casey Jr’s, and Moon’s faces as Stephanie blushed a little, covering her mouth with her fingers.

“Sorry,” she apologized as a worker came over to her, chuckling slightly. “Excited squeal.”

Victor chuckled softly and responded, “It’s okay.”

Stephanie smiled softly and quietly before squealing happily to herself with happiness that her new friends were going to be rescued from being scrapped.

Once the worker sketched out the blueprints of what Moon and Casey Jr looked like, they gave the book back to Stephanie, so she could place it back on the shelf before Sir Topham Hatt noticed it was missing.

Luckily, she did return it just in time before seven o’clock.

So, on the weekends, Stephanie visited the Steamworks a few times to the Steamworks, seeing the process with Casey Jr and Moon.

Thomas told his friends about Casey Jr and Moon to them, as some thought he was making up stories, while others believed him.

One day, Henry had popped his safety valve and had to go to the Steamworks to get his plug fixed.

Linus, who was close by, noticed it and asked if he could take Henry to the Steamworks.

Not only because he does not have anything to work on, but to see if Casey Jr is really in the Steamworks.

Linus looked almost like Casey Jr himself, but younger than him, a little shorter than him and painted cool gray.

Sir Topham Hatt agreed and allowed Linus to take Henry to the Steamworks.

Halfway to the Steamworks, Linus asked Henry from behind, “Do you think Casey Jones Jr is real, Henry?”

“Which one?” Henry, the green steam train, asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“You.” chuckled Linus. “Do you think Thomas is makin’ stories up again?”

Henry paused for a moment to think to himself for a moment before answering, “I don’t know. But if he is not telling the truth, I am not going to be surprised.”

Linus smiled gently and whistled his whistle in response to Henry’s words, agreeing with him.

Henry, who is Linus’ driver, looked thoughtful about it, however.

He has fair skin, floppy brown hair, and hazelnut brown eye color.

Henry wore a blue cap with a gray undershirt with denim overalls, black gloves, and brown shoes.

He was not too sure of what he heard from both Linus and Henry but decided to see for himself.

Soon, they all entered the Steamworks to see if Victor was inside.

As they predicted, there was no sign of this ‘Casey Jones Jr’ inside the Steamworks.

Before Linus could whistle his whistle to let Victor know that he was inside, a voice called to him, “Hello!”

Linus stopped before he could whistle, glancing around for the source of the voice.

“Look up here!” the voice called again to him.

Linus looked up along with both Henrys before their jaws dropped with sheer surprise.

There, hanging above them, was Casey Jones Jr himself!

Thomas was not making any stories up after all!

He was semi-rebuilt and looked healthier than before.

“Are-Are you-” stammered Henry as he pushed his hat up with his thumb, as the other Henry behind his back blinked with shock. “Casey Jones Jr?”

“Yep!” he nodded as he reached up to his hat and took it off, saying hello to them. “Casey Jones Jr is my name!”

They were surprised to see that Casey Jones Jr was existent, as Henry pinched himself to see if he was dreaming.

“Then,” Linus spoke, glancing around. “Where’s this ‘Moon’ person?”

“Her?” Casey Jr asked. “Oh, she’s gettin’ some new gears inserted into her body since the old ones were already worn out.”

“What about you?” the other Henry asked.

“They are turnin’ me into an airplane!” joked Casey Jr.

“Really?” Linus innocently beamed.

“No,” Casey Jr chuckled. “They are just checkin’ my undercarriage if I have anythin’ loose underneath there!”

Soon, others appeared by Linus’ sides, surprised to see Casey Jones Jr before their eyes.

Victor appeared and noticed how many steam trains were inside the Steamworks.

“Burst my boiler! Do all of you need some fixing?” Victor asked.

Everyone stammered a little as Casey Jr giggled softly to herself.

“Uh,” Gordon spoke before coughing a little. “I think I need some checking with my firebox. I have been coughing some soot recently!”

“My wheels started to feel a little wobbly,” Emily spoke, glancing down.

“Actually,” Toby responded, speaking the truth. “We all are here to see Casey Jones Jr, himself.”

“It’s Henry behind me that needs some fixin’,” Linus added.

“Which one?” asked a worker in the background, sounding confused.

“Behind Linus!” Henry spoke from inside Linus’ cab.

Casey Jr beamed a little as two workers appeared, carrying Moon.

She looked more polished than before and could walk slightly but still needed some help.

Moon glanced up from staring down at her feet to walk correctly, and noticed the steam trains and glanced up at Casey Jr.

“Appreciating the crowd?” she asked sarcastically.

“A little,” answered Casey Jr as he shrugged. “But, I didn’t expect this much of a crowd!”

“Us either!” peeped Thomas and Percy together as they both appeared.

Stephanie was blushing a little shyly from her founding before asking, remembering something, “What about your work? Doesn’t Sir Topham Hatt notice that something is going on when he does not see any steam trains working?”

Immediately, everyone glanced at each other with shocked expressions on their faces.

“Oops,” Thomas spoke, blushing a little. “Quick, back up!”

Everyone tried to back up to exit out of the Steamworks, but they kept getting stuck a few times and bumped into each other.

Then there was trouble.

“Stephanie Nova Rose Allen!” a voice snapped.

That voice belongs to a very cross Sir Topham Hatt.

“Oh, crud.” Stephanie winced. “My full name.”

Quickly, the steam trains tried to back out of the Steamworks from being caught by Sir Topham Hatt, but it was too late!

Sir Topham Hatt entered the Steamworks just in time to see everyone else, including Stephanie.

“Well,” Stephanie spoke, as her anxiety kicked up as her heart started beating against her chest. “We’re in hot water.”

“Deep hot water!” snapped Dowager Hatt, walking beside Sir Topham Hatt. “You have been out all the time recently, young lady! You know that the tank engines have-”

She stopped when she noticed Casey Jr and Moon, as they looked like they were deer in the headlights.

“Good heavens!” exclaimed Dowager Hatt. “Are they Casey Jones Jr and Moon Gemcitor Midnight?”

Stephanie perked a little after Dowager Hatt asked that, as Casey Jr bravely asked, “Yes, ma’am.”

“You know them, mother?” Sir Topham Hatt asked in confusion.

“I do, Topham!” Dowager Hatt nodded, answering Sir Topham Hatt’s question. “Casey Jones Jr is the famous steam locomotive who brings the world’s inspiring circus around the world!”

Casey Jr’s cheeks blushed deeply from the words Dowager Hatt said about him.

Then, she turned her attention to Moon, who looked nervous about what she was going to say about her.

“And she is the most useful robot my husband has ever seen before!” Dowager Hatt beamed.

Moon’s cheeks blushed a light green color from the compliment Dowager Hatt said to her, relaxing slightly.

Stephanie looked confused before asking, “Was he the first Hatt to buy this railroad?”

“Nonsense!” Dowager Hatt spoke, chuckling softly. “He was the second Hatt to run this railroad! There were three of them. My son, Topham Hatt, is the third to run this railroad.”

Stephanie could not believe her ears!

Nor did anyone else who listened to the history of the Hatts.

“Then,” Stephanie spoke. “How did you remember Moon and Casey Jr?”

Dowager Hatt reached into her bag and pulled out two pieces of paper before opening both of them.

“This was the check the second Sir Topham Hatt signed to buy both Casey Jones Jr and Moon on separate days.” Dowager Hatt spoke.

Stephanie sighed in relief after Dowager Hatt explained as she folded the pieces of paper back.

“Then,” Stephanie spoke. “You’re both not going to scrap them?”

“Why would we?” Sir Topham Hatt asked. “They are family to the railway too!”

Stephanie smiled happily after Sir Topham Hatt explained before being startled by whistles.

She turned around to see who was whistling but smiled more when she saw that it was everyone.

They cheered in happiness that they were saved as Toby rang his bell.

Casey Jr and Moon were both relieved from not going to be scrapped, feeling relaxed and happy.

Sir Topham Hatt turned to the engines after they stopped whistling.

“You all have to go back to work now,” Sir Topham Hatt ordered. “I’ll leave Victor to do the rest for Casey Jr and Moon.”

“Thank you, Sir!” Casey Jr thanked him as everyone left.

Stephanie rubbed the back of her neck after everyone had left, including Bertie the bus.

“What about me?” Stephanie asked, pointing to herself. “I caused a lot of confusion and delay.”

Sir Topham Hatt cocked his eyebrow for a moment before Dowager Hatt answered, “You can watch how everything is going in the Steamworks.”

Stephanie looked surprised by the answer Dowager Hatt gave to her, even Victor.

“Are you sure about this?” Victor asked.

“Of course!” nodded Dowager Hatt. “You can let her ride in your cab!”

Stephanie glanced over at Victor as he nodded his head.

“I will, Mrs. Hatt.” nodded Victor.

On the weekends, Stephanie kept visiting Victor every time, entering his cab with her hair up in a low ponytail and being careful as she could.

Sometimes, she would even help Kevin a few times after dropping some items accidentally with his clumsiness.

It made Victor confused about why she always helps Kevin and assures him to be careful next time.

But he was most impressed at how much patience she had with him.

Soon, Casey Jr was finished and looked better than what he looked a long time ago.

Even Moon looked better too!

She is wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, black pants held up with a belt, and black shoes.

Casey Jr has his original colors back, too, and has the number one painted on the sides.

Stephanie was so happy she ran over to Moon after she had stepped out of the Steamworks.

She hugged Moon’s legs and wrapped her arms around them, almost knocking Moon back a little.

Moon smiled softly and gently hugged Stephanie back, leaning down a little to her height.

Suddenly, a steam train slowly puffed out of the Steamworks, moving by himself with no drivers.

To everyone’s surprise, it was Casey Jr, back to normal!

He noticed the small hugging group and smiled softly, puffing towards them.

Stephanie looked behind Moon’s legs in curiosity after hearing Casey Jr coming towards them before using his piston hands to wrap them in a hug, too.

At first, Stephanie was confused by the hug but shrugged it off her shoulders and continued with the hug.

“He’s so lucky to move like that!” sighed one of the engines.

“Pretty talented.” another nodded.

Casey Jr blushed from the compliments everyone said about himself but moved his arms away from the group.

Stephanie was happy she had found them just in time before harm came to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!
> 
> (Moon does not belong to me!)


	9. Casey Jr's First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is Casey Jr's first day, but everything took an unexpected turn of events!

The next day, everyone was ready to go to work in the early morning.

They have their controls checked, their ash boxes emptied, and their fireboxes lit up with fresh coal.

Earlier in the weekend, Sir Topham Hatt allowed Moon to rent a house for herself to live inside.

There was a garage next to the house that had tracks inside for Casey Jr to stay in since there were no extra sheds.

But there was a problem with Casey Jr on this day.

He had no driver or fireman to move him or to shovel his coal!

Even though he did have the ability to move by himself, he could not just work by himself with no one with him!

Casey Jr was worried he might not be as helpful as he hoped to be and get himself and Moon sent away in the forest again.

Moon came downstairs to hear him muttering to himself, his pistons on his face as he looked stressed, shaking a little.

“Casey?” Moon softly asked, snapping him back into reality from mumbling to himself. “What’s wrong?”

“I-I have no drivers or firemen!” Casey Jr explained. “What am I goin’ to do?!”

Moon paused a little as Casey Jr went back to fretting before asking, “Maybe I can be both your fireman and driver?”

Casey Jr’s mind stopped after the question, glancing over at Moon with a confused expression on his face.

“You?” he asked as he moved a piston from his face. “No offense, but I never had a robot drive or shovel coal with me.”

“You have a robot to do that now!” Moon smirked before turning back around. “I’ll change into something else and call Sir Topham Hatt to let him know.”

Casey Jr hesitated for a moment after Moon smirked before nodding his head and allowing Moon to head back inside.

If he was human, his ‘stomach’ would twist and turn with worry but rubbed his pistons together instead.

After a few minutes had passed, Moon returned to Casey Jr but was wearing a more conductor’s outfit than the usual clothes.

She wore a long-sleeved, button-up light green shirt as the sleeves rolled midway up her arm, as her hands were covered in forearm-length black gloves.

Moon also wore a pair of pine-colored overalls with a pocket on the front.

The ends of her overalls were shoved into black boots that reached up to her knees.

Casey Jr was surprised to see the outfit, reminding him of one of his younger friends who looked almost like her.

“Your outfit oddly reminds me of someone.” Casey Jr gently mumbled, taking Moon’s attention as she walked over to him.

“Who do I remind you of?” Moon politely asked.

“One of my firemen named Caleb.” Casey Jr answered, smiling a little. “His outfit was blue instead of green.”

Moon gently smiled as she went to check his firebox, saying, “It must’ve been a nostalgic moment, hmm?”

“Yep,” Casey Jr nodded as she went into Casey Jr’s cabin and started working on his firebox.

Half of him wanted to work to not make himself or Moon go back into the forest to be forgotten again, but the other half of him was concerned about Moon’s knowledge of driving a locomotive.

To his surprise, Moon did manage to make him move, driving forward as he was gently chuffed along the line.

“Wow!” Casey Jr remarked as he glanced back over to her. “You’re doin’ a great job!”

Moon smiled and continued with her work as Casey Jr turned around the corner, only to yelp when something silver passed by him, knowing that it was that ‘Spencer’ person.

“Rail hog!” Casey Jr huffed as he called Spencer before continuing to Knapford to meet Sir Topham Hatt to discuss something.

On his way, he encountered other engines that he had never seen before, even some diesels, to his surprise, as some were friendly to him.

Others were not so much as one of them, a black-coated diesel, which was very rude to him, much to his irritation.

He finally reached Knapford, and he saw the same silver engine that passed by him at a fast pace in the line next to him.

‘Oh, not him.’ Casey Jr huffed as he stopped next to him. ‘Not that rail hog again.’

“Ah, Casey!” A familiar voice turned his attention away from that silver engine, noticing Sir Topham Hatt coming out of his office. “Moon, there you two are!”

“Good mornin’, sir!” Casey Jr greeted as Moon poked her head out of his cabin’s window. “What can we do for you?”

“Well,” Sir Topham Hatt began. “You can start by moving the trucks into position, and Edward will help you with that.”

“Who’s Edward?” Casey Jr asked with confusion before hearing a different whistle going through the air.

When he glanced over to see who did that, he saw a steam locomotive, with the number two painted on the sides of his tender.

“I’m Edward.” the locomotive smiled gently. “Let me show you how to shunt the truck around.”

Casey Jr nodded and followed Edward as Sir Topham Hatt returned to his office.

Edward showed Casey Jr how to move the trucks around, as Casey Jr listened closely to him, along with Moon as she watched.

“Now, you-” Edward was cut off with Casey Jr pushing one of the trucks to a line for one of the engines to gather, going to work immediately.

Edward watched as he did what he taught him to do and was careful with making a mistake.

This seemed to impress Edward as he did all the shunting before remembering something, “Oh, Casey! I forgot to mention, be careful with the Troublesome Trucks.”

“‘Troublesome Trucks?’” Casey Jr mumbled softly to himself as he was in front of a line of trucks before starting to push, only to notice that the trucks did not budge. “Hmm?”

He went backwards a little to see what the issue was, only to see that the truck was frowning at him, saying, “Watch where you were going!”

“Oh, are you the Troublesome Truck?” Casey Jr asked, looking confused.

“No, we’re the Troublesome Trucks.” the truck giggled as more trucks snickered from around him.

“That is a lot of Troublesome Trucks around,” Moon remarked, poking her head out of the window.

When the trucks noticed Moon, they giggled as one of them said, “Hey, when did you have a tin can for a driver?”

“When did robots even get jobs?” another laughed.

This annoyed Casey Jr as he huffed, moving back more and, like cartoons, pushed his ‘sleeves’ up as the truck watched with surprise before shoving it as hard as he could with his pistons before stopping as the buffers gently clinked.

He huffed again after the truck was back in place as he glared at the car, making a mention with his piston to his eyes, then back at him.

After that, he moved out of the way to continue with his work.

The truck he pushed blinked a few times after being shoved, glancing over at another and said, “Did you…?”

“Yep,” the other truck nodded. “That’s not an average tank engine.”

During the afternoon, Casey Jr continued with the shunting, sometimes glaring at the trucks when they made fun of either his friend, Moon, or just to make him annoyed.

Once the last truck was pushed into place, he was about to move a brake van at the end when the brake van exclaimed, “Oi, what are you doing?!”

“Whoops!” Casey Jr instantly stopped after the brake van exclaimed, noticing that he looked different from the others.

He is painted two-tone green with a red stripe across his sides and does not have anyone else.

The brake van Casey Jr was about to shunt was painted two-tone green with a red stripe across its sides. 

The number ‘0919’ is painted inside his stripes in gold and looks like he does not have anyone else with him.

“I’m sorry!” Casey Jr apologized as he blushed. “Who are you?”

“My name is Bradford,” the brake van responded. “And I don’t need to be shunted at the end of the trucks.”

Casey Jr’s blush went up a shade after he explained, before Bradford asked, “Although, who are you in return?”

Casey Jr smiled after he asked, moving his pistons and tipped his hat to him, answering, “My name is Casey, Casey Jones Jr!”

A surprised expression appeared on his face after he introduced himself, as he gently exclaimed, “‘Casey Jr?!’ As if, the Casey Jones Jr, who is a relative to the first Casey Jr?”

Casey Jr shyly chuckled as he rubbed the back of his chimney with his piston saying, “That’s me!”

The Troublesome Trucks were also surprised by the name, as one of them mumbled, “So that’s why he’s a little strange. He’s not from around here!”

Bradford smiled a little as he continued, “Yo-You were the most noticeable engine around, even with that circus as I remember from another engine. But what happened after that?”

“I got shunted.” Casey Jr shrugged before mentioning over to Moon. “I even got a shedmate too.”

“Hello!” Moon greeted. “My name is Moon Gemcitor Midnight.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bradford, but,” Casey Jr began to move backwards. “I need to get back to work before-”

Something went in behind him that caused him to bump into Bradford as he yelped out of startlement.

“Hey!” Casey Jr exclaimed, frowning as he glanced over to see who or what bumped into him. “Who did that?!”

A giggle came from behind him, and it was not from the Troublesome Trucks.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the same voice purred, which came from that same black-coated diesel, who was rude to him in the beginning. “You were in the way.”

“He wasn’t!” Moon snapped to his surprise. “Either you apologize to us, or we will tell Sir Topham Hatt about how rude you were to us!”

“Oh, what’s he going to do?” he mocked. “He doesn’t pay attention to any engines that are making trouble, only to those who seemed ‘lacking and old.’”

With that, he laughed as he went backwards, as Casey Jr huffed as a puff of smoke came out of his chimney with annoyance.

“That no good, dirty rotten-!” Casey Jr fumed before feeling Moon patting the side of his cabin.

“Don’t be too angry,” Moon warned. “Just wait until karma comes to him.”

Casey Jr huffed after Moon warned him before properly moving backwards as Bradford called, “Don’t worry about apologizing to me, and some trucks north-east from where we are, are a little out of place.”

He nodded his head after Bradford explained to him and went back to moving trucks around but was still a little fumed about that black-coated diesel, calling him ‘lacking and old.’

“I’m not ‘lacking and old,’” Casey Jr mumbled as he was pushing a truck. “I’m just a little outdated but still can shunt and pull coaches.”

After pushing one of the trucks into position and moving a different brake van, Sir Topham Hatt approached him after he finished.

“Well done, Casey,” he congratulated. “Now, there is something else that I want you to do.”

Casey Jr listened with Moon as she had her head poked out of his window, listening to Sir Topham Hatt as he talked to them.

“Thomas had an accident, and everyone else is busy,” Sir Topham Hatt explained to him. “Will you take Annie and Clarabel around Thomas’ stations?”

“Sure, Sir!” Casey Jr smiled. “This is easy as pie!”

With that, Casey Jr went off to find Annie and Clarabel as Sir Topham Hatt returned to his office.

Meanwhile, Casey Jr continued to look around for them as Moon helped him look around.

So he went to the station to the platform Sir Topham Hatt told him to be at, looking confused and worried at the same time.

James, who was with his coaches, notices Casey Jr’s slightly confused and worried expression as he has a piston on his chin, glancing around with his eyes.

“Is there something wrong, Casey?” James asked.

“Well, there is,” Casey Jr responded meekly. “I can’t seem to find Annie and Clarabel.”

“You can’t find them?” James repeated with confusion. “Weren’t they in their usual spot?”

Casey Jr shook his head no before feeling something bump into his tender’s buffers, causing him to yelp in startlement and move forward a little.

“Philip!” a female’s voice exclaimed. “Be very careful!”

“Oops, sorry!” a young boy’s voice apologized. “Though, who yelped?”

Casey Jr sheepishly chuckled as he moved back a little, letting the workers couple him with whatever was behind him.

“What were you doing with Annie and Clarabel, Philip?” James asked as Casey Jr listened to the conversation. “Casey has been looking all over the shunting yard for them!”

“Oh,” From the other side of him, he could see a small boxcar diesel coming up beside him, looking sheepish as he blushed. “I’m sorry about that, mister-”

He was cut off when he was surprised to see Casey Jr, stopping his tracks out of surprise.

“Casey Jr?!” he exclaimed, his eyes wide as saucers.

“Uh, yes?” Casey Jr responded, rubbing the back of his chimney with a piston in confusion. “That’s me?”

He instantly went forward like a rocket and went to a turntable, turned around, and came back over to Casey Jr, facing him.

“Is it you?!” he exclaimed. “How was the circus? What was it like there? Did you see a lot of animals around? Did you-”

“Okay, okay,” Casey Jr chuckled as he placed his pistons on each side of the small boxcar diesel as he stopped talking. “One question at a time, kiddo!”

He giddily smiled as he removed his pistons from his sides, noticing that a small group of passengers surrounded him.

They were talking to each other and mentioning him with a hand or a finger.

Half of him was confused about the group, as the other half was worried about the time, not wanting to make a mistake again.

Gordon came over after a run around Sodor to each station, looking confused when he noticed a crowd of passengers around an engine with Thomas’ coaches coupled at the end of its tender.

“What in…?” Gordon mumbled in confusion before noticing that it was Casey Jr, who has Thomas’ coaches. “Casey?”

Casey Jr glanced over at Gordon with a sheepish expression on his face, feeling a little crowded and in the spotlight.

“What are you doing with Thomas’ coaches?” Gordon asked in confusion.

“Uh, Sir Topham Hatt assigned me to take Thomas’ coaches while he’s bein’ fixed.” Casey Jr explained as he glanced up at the clock, which said the exact time to leave. “Right now,” he heard the conductor’s whistle after everyone was in Annie and Clarabel, whistled his whistle to pull out of Knapford as Philip, the name of the boxcar diesel, heard the whistle and noticed the time, moving backwards to allow Casey Jr to leave. “I need to go.”

He moved from the station as Moon went to work on the coal and drove him, as Gordon looked over at James with a confused expression on his face.

Meanwhile, Casey Jr continued with his adventure down the line, feeling calm now that he can pull coaches, although still a little worried about making mistakes like the last two times.

His boiler twisted at the thought of Sir Topham Hatt seeing what was going on and might send him and Moon away, which seemed to make Casey Jr afraid of him.

Suddenly, something took his mind at another memory, causing him to feel more worried than before, causing him to go a little fast, but Moon put the brakes on before he could speed up.

“Slow down a little, Casey!” Moon spoke as she poked her head out of the window. “It’s not a race! Besides, don’t be worried. We’re doing fine!”

“I-If you say so, Moon.” Casey Jr nervously chuckled before noticing that he was coming up to Maithwaite, one of Thomas’ stations that he needed to stop at for his passengers to get off.

During the other half of the day, Casey Jr went on to pull coaches around with Annie and Clarabel, getting to know them more and sometimes about Thomas as he continued with their work.

However, there were some hints from Casey Jr that he was nervous about, that it was not with shyness or the publicity that saw him as one of the most ‘famous engines around.’

When it was three o’clock in the day, Casey Jr was soon pulling trucks around to go to other yards, seeing that they were troublesome when it came to transportation.

“🎵Casey Jr’s pulling us along,🎵” they sang as Casey Jr glanced over slightly to see what was going on behind him. “🎵Casey Jr’s pulling us along! We’ll give him a push!🎵”

With that, the first truck pushed against his tender with a hard shove, causing Casey Jr to yelp out in startlement next to James.

“You have the Troublesome Trucks?” James chuckled as he pulled some non-troublesome trucks behind him. “Poor you!”

“Oh, shove off!” Casey Jr huffed, speeding up more as James scoffed indignantly.

He soon reached Brendam Docks, seeing three cranes operating and two engines working, and one of them seemed to notice him as he entered the docks.

“Ahoy thar!” he greeted. “Jus’ move th’ trucks ‘n flatbeds o’er thar ‘n let th’ cranes do th’ work!”

Casey Jr nodded his head and went to do what he did, showing off some ‘unusual’ skills that none of them have seen before, mostly to push aside some crates that were a little too close to the rails.

The diesel and steam locomotive seemed to notice when he pushed another crate to the side when it was a little close before pulling the flatbeds underneath the cranes.

“Uh, ‘scuse me?” the steam dockside locomotive asked, coming over to his side with the dockside diesel. “Where are you from?”

“I’m from America.” He answered calmly, watching the cranes unloading the flatbeds. “If you are wondering, I am Casey Jones, Jr.”

“The Casey Jones Jr?” he exclaimed. “You mean the one that traveled around the world with a very famous circus?”

“Yes, that’s me!” Casey Jr smiled, doing his trademark smile and position.

For the entire day, Casey Jr continued talking with everyone he meets, mostly about how he did with the famous circus he once worked at, even helping other engines with what they were struggling with.

Sometimes he even greeted Bradford along the way, seeing he was being pulled by an engine named Samson.

Samson is based on a Neilson 0-4-0 saddle tank engine and is painted in a viridian color with a red lining. 

He has gold nameplates with his name on them, number plates with the number fifteen on it, and handrails.

But as he turned around a corner down the line, Casey Jr was slowed down by a driver when he noticed the same black-coated diesel lying on the ground with the Troublesome Trucks behind him.

Karma had already come for him at this fast and in an unexpected way for Casey Jr to witness.

“Oh, Casey,” he spoke, noticing Casey Jr puffing down the line. “C-Can you get the breakdown cranes for me?”

Casey Jr frowned after he asked, mocking as he spoke with sarcasm in his tone of voice, “Oh gee, how can a ‘lacking and old’ engine like me get breakdown cranes when he goes around ten or five miles per hour?”

His face turned a little red after he mocked as Casey Jr left, with the back of his tender up in the air a little, as if he was turning his back against him.

Once at the station, Casey Jr noticed a familiar blue from the corner of his eyes, glancing over to see Stephanie standing at the station, holding what looked like a journal in her hands.

It has a dark blue cover as there was a light blue ribbon in it, with a rubber band around the book to keep it from opening.

“Hi, Steph!” Casey Jr called to her as she glanced over and noticed him.

“Hi, Casey!” Stephanie called back to him, waving a hand at him as the other held the journal in her arm.

There was a pencil pouch next to the journal in her arm, holding it against her chest without harming it.

“What’s that in your arm, Stephanie?” Moon asked, mentioning the book in her arm.

Stephanie glanced down at it and smiled, taking the pencil pouch out first before the journal, showing it as it has a tag on it that has her name on it.

“It’s a sketchbook!” Stephanie beamed. “Mr. Hatt bought it for me after noticing that I was good at drawing!”

“That’s kind of him!” Casey Jr smiled, beaming a little at how kind Sir Topham Hatt was.

“What about you, Casey?” Stephanie politely asked, moving the journal back against her chest. “How was your work and, I didn’t know that you work here, Moon!”

“Well,” Moon spoke as she knelt to Stephanie’s height. “Since Casey doesn’t have anyone else to work with him, I decided to take the chance to be both his driver and firemen.”

“Make it firewoman.” Stephanie lightly joked as Moon blushed a light neon green color on her cheeks.

Casey Jr giggled after Stephanie lightly joked about Moon as Moon rolled her eyes about the joke.

Then they noticed Philip again pushing a line of empty trucks in front of him.

“Need help with that, Philip?” Casey Jr asked as Stephanie and Moon continued talking to each other.

“No, I got it,” Philip responded. “But thanks for asking.”

Casey Jr nodded his head after he responded before glancing into the distance and noticing that something was heading over to where they were… speeding towards the station.

It was painted silver and was glistening in the sunlight in the distance.

Casey Jr remembered that it was Spencer who was always passing by someone at a fast pace.

...Without even bothering to stop for anyone to pass by him.

But something in his firebox told him that something was very wrong.

As Spencer was speeding closer, Casey Jr noticed that he was not stopping at all, looking worried and frightened.

Without thinking, Casey Jr quickly switched tracks by moving himself with his pistons, forgetting that his tender had come off of him after he moved.

“Casey?” Moon spoke in confusion when she heard the chain uncoupled from him. “What are you-?”

The sudden crash came as Spencer went into Casey Jr roughly, as Moon protectively held Stephanie against her chest as scraping came against the rails.

Casey Jr’s buffers were damaged from the crash as debris went everywhere slightly, as he used all his brake’s strength to stop Spencer, despite the slight damage to his body.

The driver and fireman quickly put Spencer’s fire out after he crashed into Casey Jr and struggled to slow him down, as everything had finally stopped.

Now that he has slowed down and been stopped from crashing by Casey Jr, they can see who Spencer looks like.

Spencer is based in Class A4 Pacific, and he is painted metallic silver with a black lining. 

He has red nameplates with his name in gold letters, each mounted on each side of his smokebox.

“What on earth were you thinking?!” Moon huffed at Spencer after he had been stopped. “Trying to harm everyone else?”

“I didn’t mean to!” Spencer protested. “My brakes were stuck!”

Moon sighed after Spencer protested before noticing that Casey Jr looked a little… terrified as he shook from funnel to wheel.

“Uh, Casey?” Moon spoke, moving away from Stephanie as she looked confused and startled. “Are you alright?”

Casey Jr snapped out of his state and glanced over at Moon and Stephanie, sighing as he removed his pistons from Spencer, placing one close to his body.

As if he was placing a hand on his chest like a human would almost getting a heart attack.

“I-I’m fine.” he stammered. “Just a little startled.”

Sir Topham Hatt quickly came out of his office after hearing about the crash, seeing Casey Jr’s front damaged along with Spencer’s.

“Is everyone alright?” Sir Topham Hatt asked.

“Ye-Yes, everything is alright.” Casey Jr stammered, moving back onto the track, and puffed up to Sir Topham Hatt.

“It was my brakes, sir,” Spencer spoke as Casey Jr went to get his tender back. “They were stuck, and I could not get them to work.”

“I see.” Sir Topham Hatt nodded. “Well, let me see if Edward or any other engine will shunt both you and Casey Jr to the Steamworks to be repaired.”

Casey Jr smiled gently as Sir Topham Hatt turned to him.

“And since you saved Spencer from being severely damaged, you get a new fresh coat of paint too!” Sir Topham Hatt smiled as Casey Jr beamed.

“That’s wonderful!” Casey Jr whistled. “Thank you, Sir!”

Stephanie smiled after Casey Jr thanked him as Edward came over after being called, first taking Spencer to the Steamworks.

But while Casey Jr was waiting for his turn to go to the Steamworks to be repaired and repainted, Stephanie went to think to herself about his reaction after he saved Spencer from crashing.

He looked terrified and, at the same time, looked like he had seen this before that terrified him to death.

Did something happen in his life that caused him to be that terrified?

Stephanie shrugged to herself after thinking in her mind and asked Casey Jr if he was alright.

She decided that it would be best to wait and find out for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	10. The Blue Mountain Quarry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie got herself into more curious trouble, but this time, it was an unusual twist of events...

Stephanie woke up too early the next day in her room, thinking she was a little late.

Maybe because Alice or any of the butlers did not wake her up for the day and perhaps busy with something else like everyone else?

Sitting up from her bed, Stephanie pushed the blankets aside and got dressed in her clothes, thinking that maybe everyone had already started work?

She was still confused as she went outside to look for anyone else, noticing that it was still nighttime, as the sun was rising from the distance slightly.

From Stephanie’s perspective, it looked beautiful to her and felt like she had not seen the sun for a long time.

A soft smile appeared on her face as she continued watching the sunrise from the horizon, shuddering a little when a gust of cold wind gently blew past her.

But it did not matter to Stephanie.

Noticing that Bertie or any of the buses or cars were not driving around, knowing that it was still night.

So, Stephanie decided to walk to Knapford to have a look around at what was going on.

She placed her hood over her head to keep the slight cold wind from her face and started walking to Knapford on foot.

During her walk towards Knapford, Stephanie nervously rubbed her wrist with her hand, worried that something had happened while she was asleep, forgetting all about her.

She stopped a few times to calm her nerves down from feeling nervous about being alone, mostly scratching her arm a little underneath her sleeve.

Once she had reached Knapford after walking for a long time, Stephanie discovered that no one was there, to her confusion and worry.

Stephanie walked up to the abandoned station with worry, glancing around for whomever or which engine is awake at this time of day.

After glancing around for anyone else or any engines around, Stephanie looked over at the clock at the thought of what time it was, still a little cold.

She noticed that it was 5:54 in the night, and the sun had not risen from the horizon.

Alice usually wakes Stephanie up at 6:30 in the morning for a ‘bright and lovely day’ as she would say whenever she woke up.

But, her ‘foster-father’s’ maid, however, she wakes everyone up at 3:40 in the early morning, forcing everyone to wake up in the cold morning.

A shudder went down Stephanie’s back as she remembered the shrill screeching of her ‘foster-father’s’ evil maid, screaming at each child there to wake up.

It sounded almost like a banshee screaming at everyone in the morning or like an emergency horn blaring near where they slept.

Stephanie’s hair on her arms prickled at the memories of that evil maid coming into the basement room, screeching at every single child to get dressed and go do the chores.

Usually, Stephanie herself ends up in tears after being screeched in the face, having her thin blankets swiped off the bed and grabbed by the arm, the nails digging into her arm.

Her ears hurt from the noise, and her arms are usually covered in scratches from her long nails as she drags each child out of bed.

Sometimes, it would leave behind some scars, too, without even bothering to mend them after hurting each child.

Shaking her head, Stephanie forced the memory out of her head, trying not to remember her ‘home’ again as she scratched at her arm with her short nails.

Stephanie glanced around for a bench to stay on since she accidentally got up earlier than Sir Topham Hatt, thinking she might get a scolding from him for nearly scaring him.

While looking around for a bench, Stephanie noticed a strange crate was near the station at the other end, near the shunting yard.

It did not look like the Troublesome Trucks she usually sees but looked almost ancient like it belongs in a mine.

Stephanie’s curiosity got the best of her, and she walked over to the truck, stepping off the station.

After being close to the truck, she noticed that it was taller than her, and it looked like she was staring up at a massive metal bin.

Glancing around, Stephanie looked for something to help her look into the truck, noting a crate is at her height and easy to climb up.

Walking over to the case, Stephanie placed her hands on the side of the wooden crate, using her strength to pull it, dragging it close to the mine truck and not waking up to any other Troublesome Trucks.

Once it was close to the mine cart, Stephanie stepped onto the crate and peered into it, being on her tiptoes to have a better look.

The minecart was empty and deep, looking like it could almost carry over six or eight children inside!

Despite the creepy feeling of the inside of the seemingly never-ending, dark truck, Stephanie’s eyes soon came across something that took her attention from the fact that it was not worth looking in.

She moved to the side slightly to let some of the rising sun’s rays into the crate, seeing that something was glittering inside the mine cart.

Reaching towards the glittering item, Stephanie used her right arm to grab the object, as the other held onto the side of the truck to not accidentally fall in.

She struggled a little to reach the glittering item a few times before moving up more onto her toes to stretch out more for the object.

Then there was trouble.

Stephanie’s left hand slipped from the edge of the cart, and Stephanie fell inside, landing back first against the bottom and the object she was reaching for.

It rammed into Stephanie’s back like a shoe, giving her a bruise and against her rib, not breaking it from the force.

Stephanie cried out in pain after the object went into her back, wincing while squirming a little to curl into a ball from the narrow truck.

After squirming a little, the pain soon faded away as Stephanie reached over her shoulder to see what she went into.

When her hand grasped what it was, Stephanie pulled out what seemed to be a massive emerald-green crystal.

A surprised expression appeared on her face rather than a pained one, looking surprised at what she had found.

It was about the size of a baseball in her hand and glinted beautifully in the rising sun that poked over the cart she was inside.

Stephanie smirked slightly at what she had found, feeling proud of discovering something incredible and beautiful.

Placing the object back down at her side, Stephanie tried to get up from where she was, but her hands kept slipping on the walls of the truck.

She started panicking, thinking there is no way out of where she is, even trying to stand up in the cart to get out before anything else happens.

Suddenly, an unusual whistle caught Stephanie’s attention, making her stop squirming in the truck she was stuck inside.

The whistle was shrill, but it did not make Stephanie cover her ears, thinking it must have been from someone or something else.

Soon, the truck started moving forward, heading towards somewhere that made Stephanie panic.

She continued trying to squirm out of the truck she was stuck inside, ignoring the pain in her back from the gem Stephanie accidentally went into.

It lasted for a good eighty minutes before the locomotive pulling the truck stopped on something, causing it to turn around.

Stephanie paused for a moment from her struggle, noticing the locomotive was on top of a turntable.

She continued watching the sky turn slightly before feeling a bump at the end of the truck, pushing instead of pulling.

Stephanie glanced up to see what was going on from the outside, noticing a rock shaft.

And the shaft is where they place rocks inside the trucks Stephanie was stuck inside!

Stephanie yelped and struggled again before the truck she was inside started tipping over to the right side.

She yelped again as she tumbled out of the truck, landing front first on the gravel ground and scratching her hands again.

The gem once inside the truck with her landed near her with a gentle clink against the gravel.

A startled gasp came from someone after Stephanie had tumbled out of the truck, hissing softly from the pain in her back.

“Burst my boiler!” exclaimed a voice. “Is that a little girl?!”

Stephanie glanced up slightly to see who exclaimed after she had tumbled out of the truck, noticing there were more steam locomotives!

But they looked different from the ones back at Knapford station.

The first steam locomotive is a Fletcher Jennings Class C from the book Sir Topham Hatt’s father wrote in and looked older than the others.

He is painted crimson red with a white and gold lining and has a red and gold nameplate with the name ‘Skarloey.’

The number plates with the number ‘SR 1’ are on the sides of his saddle tank like his nameplates and coal bunkers, respectively.

The second steam engine was a Fletcher Jennings Class BB and looked concerned for Stephanie.

He is painted in a vermilion color with black and gold lining and brass fittings. 

He has black and brass nameplates with the name ‘Rheneas’ and number plates with the number ‘SR 2’ on the sides of his boiler and coal bunkers, respectively.

The third steam engine was a TR No.3 and looked old and wise.

He is painted dark blue with a red lining and brass fittings with red and gold nameplates, with the name ‘Sir Handel’ and number plates with the number ‘SR 3’ on the sides of his saddle tank and coal bunkers, respectively.

The fourth steam engine is a TR No.4 and looked confused.

He painted dark green with red lining and brass fittings, and he has red and gold nameplates, with the name ‘Peter Sam’ and number plates with the number ‘SR‌ 4’ on the sides of his saddle tank and coal bunkers, respectively.

To Stephanie’s surprise, she noticed a diesel at the new place she is in, which looked like a TR No.5.

He is painted orange with a yellow lining around his windows and white lettering with the name ‘Rusty’ and the number ‘SR 5.’

In front of Stephanie, she noticed that a fifth steam train was staring at her with surprise.

He is a Kerr Stuart Wren and is painted in a pea-green color with a white lining.

His name ‘Luke’ is painted in white on either side of his saddle tank, and he has brass and black number plates with the number ‘SR 22’ on both sides of his cab.

Stephanie stared at the locomotive for a moment before saying, “Did I do something wrong?”

“Oh, no,” the dark blue steam locomotive answered, breaking the ice between all of them. “Not at all, but what are you doing inside that truck Samson was pulling earlier?”

A confused expression appeared on her face, and Stephanie glanced over at who is named ‘Samson.’

But she only sees that there was no one there that is named ‘Samson’ pulling the trucks.

“Oh, if you are wondering where Samson is,” the diesel responded when he noticed her confusion. “He already left.”

Stephanie sighed with slight annoyance and started standing up to her feet after grabbing the gem she found inside the truck in her hand.

“Oh, well,” Stephanie sighed as she started standing up to her feet. “It’s best if I could-”

Before she could continue, a sharp pain emitted from her back, causing her to yelp and knelt back down on the ground, wincing and covering her shoulder with her free hand.

“What happened?!” exclaimed a young voice. “Are you okay?!”

Stephanie glanced up slightly again and noticed she was surrounded by the locomotives’ drivers and firemen, looking concerned for her.

They were wearing the same outfits, but in gray instead of blue, and looked dirtier than the diesel drivers she had seen before, except she had the Vicarstown Dieselworks logo on the jacket and a brown cap.

“I accidentally fell inside that truck earlier before coming here when I woke up much too early for Sir Topham Hatt,”‌ Stephanie explained as she softly hissed from the twinges of pain. “And landed on this.”

She showed them the gem she found inside the truck to the drivers and fireman, as a shocked expression appeared on their faces.

“I-Is that what I think it is?” stammered one of the drivers.

The diesel’s driver scratched his head for a moment and asked, “Excuse me, but could I have that gem for a moment?”

Stephanie hesitated for a moment after he had asked before nodding her head and giving the gem to him.

He lifted the gem up into the sky and looked at it closely before exclaiming, “It is the long-lost Gem of Sodor!”

A confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after he had exclaimed.

“What’s the ‘Gem of Sodor?’”‌ Stephanie asked.

“The gem you landed on!” exclaimed the pea-green steam train as the diesel’s driver showed her. “It has been lost for thousands of years! But, how on earth did it get in there in the first place?”

Stephanie shrugged her shoulders before wincing when the bruise on her back stung after shrugging her shoulders.

“Oh,” One of the drivers gently felt the bruise on her back with his hand in thought.‌ “About that bruise.”

She hissed quietly in pain from the gentle touch of the driver’s hand against her bruise.

Stephanie clenched her hand into a fist from the touch, feeling like a horse had stomped on her back multiple times.

She was used to the bruises, but this one was the worst one she had ever felt before.

“Ooh,” the driver winced after seeing the expression on her face. “That’s one heck of a bruise. It even landed right on one of your rib cages. Maybe you need to put some ice on it.”

She cocked her head to the side slightly to herself, feeling confused about the friendly drivers and firemen of the place.

“But, we are not having a break now, so,” one of the firemen said. “Why not wait until that time comes?”

Everyone nodded in agreement, including the engines too.

“Which engine wants to keep…” one of the drivers spoke for a moment before pausing. “Er…”

He glanced over at Stephanie for her name as she glanced back up at him.

“Stephanie,”‌ Stephanie answered as she slowly moved herself up, the bruise still stinging. “Stephanie Nova Rose Allen.”

“Miss Allen until we talk to the Manager.” the driver finished, glancing back at the engines.

Stephanie glanced away for a moment, feeling like she was taking up their time.

“Me! Allow me to keep her company!” the pea-green engine chirps. “Me!”

The driver talking to Stephanie chuckled and said, “Of course, Luke, you may.”

Luke, the pea-green with white stripes steam engine, happily whistled his whistle, as Stephanie was gently but carefully picked up by his driver.

She was carried over to Luke and climbed inside, while Luke, on the other wheel, was excited to have a little girl with him.

He went off after Stephanie was in his cab, whistling his whistle excitedly.

Soon after Stephanie was picked up and placed into Luke’s cab, everyone else whistled too and went to work.

During it, Stephanie kept feeling the bruise on her back with a hand over her shoulder.

She thought it was getting darker than before underneath her shirt because of how hurtful it was when touched.

But, Stephanie did not want to take it off to look at it since she was ashamed of something from underneath.

Luke felt like this was taking a little too quiet as he made shifts around the quarry, at times gathering trucks filled with gravel inside.

There is some noise going on, like the rocks being crushed by the machine with loud grinding.

After the rocks were crushed, they were placed into the trucks that she had been inside before.

Then, being taken by a diesel to different spots on Sodor.

“Hey, is your name Stephanie?” Luke asked, glancing over at her from the corner of his eye.

“Um,” Stephanie hesitated for a moment, feeling doubtful to distract him from his work. 

But, he was kind to Stephanie, so she answered his question after being quiet, “Yes, that is my name. Is your name Luke?”

Luke nodded, answering Stephanie’s curious question as he continued, pulling large trucks of slate down the quarry.

Stephanie glanced around as Luke puffed around as Stephanie noticed two machines that were not the engines.

One of them was an almost similar crane to Cranky or Big Mickey but is painted vermilion with yellow and gold accents.

He has gold nameplates on both sides of his cab with the name ‘Merrick.’

But the other was the most curious thing Stephanie had ever seen.

The strange machine is painted orange and gray, with yellow stripes and a brass nameplate with the name ‘Owen.’

“Luke?” Stephanie questioned after he had stopped next to the escalator to dump rocks inside.

“Yes?” Luke answered, glancing over at her from the corner of his eye.

“Who is he?” Stephanie asked, mentioning over to the escalator.

Luke glanced over at the escalator, who was bringing up some filled trucks of rocks, answering, “His name is Owen!”

He paused for a moment as he stared at him with confusion.

“I don’t know what type of engine he is,” Luke added as he glanced over at Stephanie. “But, he is a friendly guy if you get to know him!”

Stephanie softly smiled after Luke described who Owen is to Stephanie, until a voice asked, “Somethin’ about me?”

Luke and Stephanie glanced up at the voice, noticing that Owen looked confused and staring at Luke.

“Oh, we’re talking about you, Owen!” Luke called over to him. “My new friend, Stephanie, was curious about who you are.”

Stephanie blushed shyly and hid behind Luke’s driver’s leg from how friendly everyone was around each other.

Owen gently smiled when he noticed Stephanie and asked, “Who else is Stephanie curious about?”

“Maybe everyone?” Luke guessed. “She is new to the Blue Mountain Quarry.”

Owen nodded and glanced over at the crane on the other side of the bridge.

“Hey, Merrick!” Owen called the being on the other side of the bridge.

Merrick, the other crane, snorted awake, turning around towards Owen after being called.

“Yes?” he asked, yawning a little after being awoken.

“You haven’t properly introduced ourselves over to Luke’s new friend,” Owen smiled.

“Is it another deer?” Merrick asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Owen chuckled and said, “No, it’s a little girl.”

Merrick glanced down and noticed Stephanie, who was still hiding behind Luke’s driver’s leg.

“Well, bless me!” Merrick exclaimed. “What is she doing here?”

“She accidentally climbed into one of the trucks Samson was pulling,” Owen explained. “I saw it while you were asleep.”

Stephanie glanced away from the two talking machines, feeling more embarrassed about her ‘adventure’ and making everyone work less on what they are doing.

But all of them seemed to be friendly and wanted to meet her, despite the unexpected adventure she had.

“Oh,” Merrick chuckled before turning his attention over to Stephanie. “Well, pleased to meet you, Stephanie. My name is Merrick.”

Stephanie shyly waved her hand towards Merrick from behind Luke’s driver’s leg, still feeling more ashamed and anxious.

Soon, it was noon, and a bell rang in the distance that caused everyone to stop from the noise.

Stephanie flinched slightly from the noise but relaxed when Luke assured her it was the bell for break time.

Everyone went up to a shack, and the engines’ drivers and firemen stepped out of the cabs, entering inside.

During that time, Stephanie stepped out of Luke’s cab, feeling relieved.

Stephanie felt like she was squished between the two controllers since the cab was small.

Luke glanced over at Stephanie and asked, “How was the time with the work?”

Stephanie glanced over at Luke and answered, “Loud, but a lot of rocks here.”

“That’s why it’s called a Quarry!” chuckled a pea-green train. “The Blue Mountain Quarry, to be exact.”

A slightly embarrassing blush appeared on Stephanie’s cheeks when he mentioned, feeling downright stupid for assuming that.

“Now,” softly spoke the diesel. “Let’s introduce ourselves; my name is Rusty.”

“Pleased to meet you, Rusty,” Stephanie greeted back. “My name is Stephanie, Stephanie Nova Rose Allen.”

Rusty nodded back before the crimson red steam engine said, “My name is Skarloey.”

Stephanie paused after Skarloey introduced himself, repeating his name.

“‘Skarloey.’”‌ Stephanie mumbled to herself softly. “That’s an amazing name!”

Skarloey’s cheeks blushed after Stephanie remarked about his name, as his driver and fireman chuckled a little.

The vermilion steam train chuckled gently before saying, “My name is Rheneas.”

“Your name is amazing!” Stephanie remarked, causing Rheneas to blush. “‘Rheneas’ sounds like someone famous.”

Rheneas glanced away from Stephanie after she had remarked about his name, as the blue steam engine chuckled.

“My name is Sir Handel.” the dark blue steam train smiled.

A confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face.

“Why are you named ‘Sir Handel?’” Stephanie innocently asked.

“Well,” Sir Handel began. “My nickname was ‘Falcon,’ but I was named after the first owner, Sir Handel Brown, the First.”

Stephanie understood what he was explaining and smiled.

“Well,” Stephanie began. “I think ‘Sir Handel’ is marvelous! Even the name ‘Falcon’ too!”

Sir Handel’s cheeks blushed after Stephanie remarked about his name, gently puffing slightly.

“My name is Peter Sam,” the green engine introduced. “My nickname was ‘Stuart.’”

The same confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after he introduced himself.

“If you are wondering why I got that name, I was named after the Skarloey Railway’s previous controller, Mr. Peter Sam.” Peter Sam explained. “I was named ‘Stuart’ by the designers who made me.”

Stephanie softly smiled after explaining how he got his name before looking curious.

“What’s the ‘Skaloey Railway?’” Stephanie innocently asked.

The engines glanced at each other for a moment before Sir Handel answered, “It’s our railway we sometimes work on.”

Stephanie perked with curiosity and listened to their stories, feeling like she was listening to one of the grandest things she had ever heard.

“If you go there, you might see an old engine friend of ours,” smiled Skarloey.

Stephanie’s curiosity perked up more after the little story finished.

“Who the ‘old engine friend?’” Stephanie asked.

Mentally, she felt shy to ask more questions because of the ‘rules’ her ‘adoptive father’ explained to her.

“The old engine friend of ours is named ‘Duke.’” smiled Peter Sam. “We usually nicknamed him ‘Grandpuff.’”

Stephanie giggled at the cute little nickname for the elder engine.

“But, don’t let his age get to you!” chuckled Rheneas. “He’s one of the wisest and most experienced engines on Sodor!”

Stephanie softly smiled as she listened to their conversation about Duke.

“But,” chuckled Rusty. “Be careful with Duncan. He’s cranky like Cranky.”

A soft, confused expression appeared on her face after he mentioned ‘Duncan,’ cocking her head to the side slightly.

“Somethin’ aboot me?” a voice asked, having a Scottish accent.

Stephanie glanced over her shoulder and noticed a TR No. 6 engine coming over.

He is painted golden-yellow with a black lining and gold boiler bands and has brass nameplates, with the name ‘Duncan’ on the sides of his boiler and his coal bunkers.

‘So he is named ‘Duncan?’’ Stephanie worriedly thought to herself.

“Oh, we were talking about you, Duncan.” smiled Peter Sam. “This is Stephanie.”

Duncan glanced over at Stephanie with judgment, but Stephanie could see there were some hints of worry in his eyes.

“A see,” Duncan spoke. “Where are her parents, first o’ aw?”

Immediately, the quarry went silent after Duncan had asked that question, as the engines glanced at each other as some paled a little, steaming puffing slightly fast out of their chimneys.

Owen’s face paled slightly, and Merrick bit the bottom of his lip, glancing over at him with worry.

Duncan noticed and asked, “They are no’ here, arenae they?”

All the engines nodded, answering Duncan’s question as Luke looked more worried than the others.

“Well, why didnae ye aw speir her?!” Duncan exclaimed, startling Stephanie slightly.

“Shush,” Rusty gently shushed him. “You’re going to make Stephanie feel overwhelmed if you keep going like that, Duncan.”

Duncan slightly grumbled as he glanced away as a puff of steam came out of his funnel.

Stephanie paused for a moment after Rusty gently shushed Duncan before asking, “Have any of you been outside the quarry before?”

All the engines paused for a moment, glancing at each other for a moment, before Duncan sighed, rolling his eyes.

“None o’ us can get tae some places, Stephanie,” Duncan grumbled. “We have tae wait for a steam engine tae come here tae pick us up an’ tak us tae the location.”

Stephanie’s gaze softened after Duncan grumbled before Rusty added, “But, there are other ways to go from one place to another.”

She slightly perked after Rusty added and asked, “How?”

“Well,” he mentioned to Owen. “We load rocks onto Owen, and he brings them down on one side, while the other brings empty carts up, taking them to some areas where there are narrow tracks for us to go on.”

Owen smiled proudly, and Stephanie gently smiled back.

“It’s either Thomas or Paxton, who brings the trucks you were inside to get the slates,” Rusty continued. “And it’s hard work for us.”

Stephanie nodded her head in agreement, still not moving her arm with the bruise on her back.

Then, one of the workmen came out from the house, as the Blue Mountain Quarry manager came by his side.

“Sir Topham Hatt will come over to pick Ms. Allen up from her,” the Blue Mountain Quarry manager explained to the engines. “Unexpected visit here in the quarry.”

Stephanie’s cheeks blushed ashamedly from her ‘unexpected visit,’ feeling like she was going to be punished for her incident.

“Will she be punishit for her incident?” Duncan asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Everyone perked a little after Duncan asked, glancing at each other with slightly confused expressions on their faces.

“Not what I think of,” the Blue Mountain Quarry manager answered. “I only informed him of Stephanie being missing, and he told me he was coming over to pick Ms. Allen up.”

Stephanie quietly sighed to herself after the manager explained to Duncan about their conversation.

Then, he asked, “Are you worried about her?”

Duncan’s cheeks blushed slightly from the question, responding, “Whit? Me? Worriit aboot her? A’m juist makin’ sure she is safe.”

“That’s called worry, Duncan!” chuckled Rheneas.

Duncan’s cheeks blushed in another shade after Rheneas responded to his answer until something gently bumped into the back of his cab.

“Oi!” Duncan snapped as he glanced over at who was from the corner of his eyes. “Wha’s bumpin’ ma buffer?!”

“Oops,” a voice exclaimed. “Sorry about that, Duncan.”

Soon, the turntable turned around, and Winston came over to where Stephanie was.

Stephanie’s stomach instantly worriedly clenched when she noticed Sir Topham Hatt sitting in the driver’s seat.

Sir Topham Hatt stepped out of the car and glanced over at Stephanie.

Stephanie was nervous as she rubbed her left hand, thinking about what he would do to her.

“There you are!” Sir Topham Hatt sighed as he placed his hands on her shoulders. “I was so worried about you!”

“Forgive me, Sir,” Stephanie apologized, as she winced slightly as his hand was near her injury. “I was up earlier than you and found something in a quarry truck by the platform.”

A slightly confused expression appeared on Sir Topham Hatt’s face after Stephanie explained, asking, “What is it you have found?”

“I agree,” nodded Winston.

Duncan nodded in response, too, looking curious.

The Blue Quarry manager entered the house for a moment, then exited, showing the Gem of Sodor to Sir Topham Hatt.

Sir Topham Hatt was surprised to see the Gem of Sodor in the Blue Mountain Quarry manager’s hand, even Winston too.

“Is this what was out of the truck Stephanie fell in?” he asked, pointing to the gem.

The Blue Quarry manager nodded his head, answering Sir Topham Hatt’s question.

“Stephanie apparently landed on the gem too, Sir,” added one of the engines’ drivers. “There is a bruise on her back and needs some ice on it.”

Stephanie felt mentally nervous about Sir Topham Hatt putting ice on her bruise, rubbing the back of her left arm.

Sir Topham Hatt nodded his head and asked, holding his hand out, “May I have the gem, so I can take it to the museum?”

The Blue Mountain Quarry manager nodded his head and handed the gem over to Sir Topham Hatt, as he placed it inside his pocket.

“Thank you,” Sir Topham Hatt thanked, before turning around and carefully placing his hand on her other shoulder, not on the one that had the bruise. “Come along, Stephanie. Let me first take the gem to the museum, then to the mansion to patch that bruise.”

Stephanie nodded her head and walked up to the car as Sir Topham Hatt took the driver’s seat, and Stephanie sat in the passenger seat next to him.

“Be careful,” warned Duncan, sounding a little worried about her but grumpy. “Winston can be A little wobbly.”

“Thank you, Duncan,” Stephanie thanked as the turntable turned, and Sir Topham Hatt drove away, albeit shakily.

In the background, Stephanie could hear Rusty saying, “So you are worried about her!”

“For the last time, A am no’ worried, A am juist makin’ sure!” Duncan groaned, snapping a little at the light jokes.

Stephanie giggled as she covered her mouth with her hand, as Sir Topham Hatt looked slightly confused.

Despite how shaky it was with Sir Topham Hatt driving, Stephanie liked riding in Winston, feeling like she was in a shaky rollercoaster.

Sometimes, watching engines passing by Winston made Stephanie feel slightly nervous about crashing into each other, but relaxed after they went away.

Once they had reached the museum, Sir Topham Hatt stepped out of Winston, as Stephanie noticed that he had forgotten about the brake.

Winston did not tell him either but was staring off into the distance of the field.

But Stephanie put the brakes on without Sir Topham Hatt noticing as he entered the museum to deliver the Gem of Sodor.

But Winston did, hearing a click from the driver’s side of the seat.

Glancing up at Stephanie, he asked, “Did you put the brakes on, Stephanie?”

Blushing, Stephanie answered, “Yes, I did. You did not remind Sir Topham Hatt about it, either.”

“Oops.” Winston blushed slightly with embarrassment before noticing something. “How on earth did you know how to put my brakes on?”

“Well, I went into the library out of boredom,” Stephanie explained. “And I found Sir Topham Hatt’s father’s book on the shelf, which had many engines inside, each from different classes and types.”

“Oh, I remember that book!” Winston smiled after Stephanie explained. “His father was an excellent engine expert.”

Stephanie blinked with surprise after Winston recalled the book she had read before.

“His father is an engine expert?” Stephanie asked.

Winston nodded after Stephanie asked, smiling gently.

“Not only that,” Winston added. “He has been traveling around the world, seeing each engine. The first Sir Topham Hatt sketched and wrote about each one in that book you read about.”

Stephanie perked up more after Winston explained, moving around in her chair a little to get comfortable.

“What else?” Stephanie asked curiously.

Winston chuckled, understanding how curious Stephanie was about the history behind Sir Topham Hatt.

“Don’t tell Sir Topham Hatt about this, but he is a bad driver,” Winston explained.

“I won’t tell him, and I saw that,” Stephanie sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.

Winston thought to himself for a moment before perking a little.

“Oh, um, Stephanie?” Winston asked.

Stephanie moved up a little from her seat and answered, “Yes?”

“When you are older, would you like to drive me some other time?” Winston asked.

Stephanie slightly flinched after Winston asked, hesitating for a moment as her right arm shook.

“Uh, s-sure,” Stephanie shakily nodded. “When I am older…”

Winston felt confused from the tone of Stephanie’s voice, sounding slightly scared and trembling slightly in the seat she was sitting in.

Before he could ask what was wrong, something zoomed past the road, startling him as he yelped.

“Hey!” Winston exclaimed as he called the car. “May you please watch where you are going, sir?”

“Oops, sawrry about that!” Winston blinked with surprise after hearing that voice, blushing slightly.

Stephanie also heard that voice and perked as her shaking stopped as she released her arm.

The car’s basis was a Triumph Spitfire 1500 and is painted in yellow with white stripes and silver wheels, along with a four-leaf clover painted in a white circle. 

The number forty-three is painted on the sides of his doors in black with white lines around the black forty-three.

The race car noticed Winston and said, “G’day, wat is yah name?”

Winston stammered a little after he asked, confusing Stephanie a little as she glanced down at him with slight curiosity. 

“Not much of a talker?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“N-No,” stammered Winston. “I just didn’t expect you to be here, mister?”

“Ace,” Ace, the name of the race car, smiled, winking towards Winston. “Ace is my name.”

Winston blushed after Ace winked towards him, glancing away as Stephanie’s curiosity grew more.

Ace noticed Stephanie sitting in his passenger seat and looked confused when he recognized her.

“Wen did Sir Topham ‘att ‘av’ a child?” he asked, mentioning her.

Winston glanced up at Stephanie as she stammered, “Ah, no, sir. I… um… it’s a long story to explain.”

Ace’s confusion grew more, as he asked, “Ah, don’t wawrry about it! We got plenchoo of time! So wat’s the stawry?”

Stephanie paused a little after he asked but explained the story to him, how she found the Gem of Sodor, and when she came to Sodor by boat, wearing a raggy dress shirt.

Ace was surprised and confused by the story from Stephanie and Winston but believed in it after explaining.

“Wow, that’s a very big adventah ya ‘ad!” he commented. “Pretchoo game of ya too.”

“Thanks?” Stephanie thanked him with confusion.

Ace chuckled a little from Stephanie’s innocent confusion before noticing that Winston’s cheeks were a bit red.

“Wy is his cheeks turnin’ red, Steph?” Ace asked in confusion as he cocked his eyebrow.

Winston blinked after he had snapped out of dazing, noticing that Ace saw his blush.

“Oh, just tired from working out,” Winston nervously answered, glancing away from him.

Ace said nothing after Winston answered his question, as Stephanie thought to herself.

“Oh, Ace!” Stephanie spoke. “He was wondering how fast you can go?”

Ace smirked and answered, moving backwards before doing some tight donuts, “I can go as fast as I can go, kiddo!”

Winston felt more amazed as he watched Ace move back and forth, spinning around in circles.

He felt like he wanted to do the same thing as Ace, but knows he is a railcar.

After Ace showed off to Winston, Winston mumbled, not knowing that Ace was there, “You’re so lucky to not be on rails.”

“Wat’s wrong with bein’ on the rails?” Ace asked in confusion, causing Winston to jolt.

“Uh, it’s, um, it’s,” Winston stammered as Stephanie giggled softly. “It’s just you have freedom on the road instead of rails.”

Ace chuckled and responded, moving a wheel slightly, “Not all machines ‘av’ no freedom. Thomas is allowed ta travel! With permission from Sir Topham ‘att, that is.”

Winston perked more as he listened to Ace, along with Stephanie.

“Sometimes, I could travel ahround liyyke wat I did back in ‘stralia,” Ace continued. “But, since theah is a new race comin’ soon on Sodawr, I hope I can meet the best racah theah is!”

“Who’s the ‘best racer?’” Stephanie asked in curiosity.

“Lightin’ McQueen!” Ace responded with excitement. “Wat I heahrd from back in Amahica, Lightin’ McQueen won his seventeenth piston cup!”

Winston’s eyes widened with amazement as Stephanie’s curiosity grew more.

“Really?!” Winston exclaimed.

Ace nodded in excitement as he gently jittered his back wheels at the thought of the race in his mind.

“Yer, I hope somedee I can meet that racer!” Ace smiled before remembering something. “Oh, I fawrgot! There’s racin’ practice!”

With that, Ace went backwards as he glanced over at his side mirrors before turning around, calling out, “See ya soon, Red!”

Winston blinked in confusion after Ace called out, before shaking slightly and calling over to Ace in the distance, saying, “My name is Winston, not Red!”

After Ace left, Winston groaned as Stephanie chuckled.

“He’s quite a guy, hmm?” Stephanie gently teased.

“Yes, and I made myself look like a fool.” Winston groaned. “I should’ve introduced myself instead of being distracted!”

Rolling her eyes, Stephanie gently rubbed the side of Winston, saying, “Don’t worry. You’ll see Ace soon.”

Winston sighed after Stephanie assured him, as Sir Topham Hatt came out of the museum without the gem.

“How was it in there?” Stephanie asked, moving over to the side slightly as Sir Topham Hatt entered inside Winston.

“Excellent!” Sir Topham Hatt beamed. “The museum said the gem was real and is the Gem of Sodor!”

Stephanie smiled gently and said, “That’s good!” before wincing when her bruise twinged a little after moving her arm up slightly.

Sir Topham Hatt winced slightly along with her after Stephanie’s bruise hurt.

“Now, let’s take you back to the mansion to fix that bruise.” Sir Topham Hatt started Winston and was about to hit the gas when Stephanie said, “Excuse me? You forgot Winston’s brake.”

“Oh.” Sir Topham Hatt clicked the brakes off. “Thank you, Stephanie.”

Stephanie beamed gently after Sir Topham Hatt turned the brakes off before starting to head for the mansion.

While Sir Topham Hatt was busy with something else, mostly trying his best to drive Winston, Stephanie rubbed her left arm, feeling slightly nervous.

Once Sir Topham Hatt and Stephanie reached the mansion and entered inside, he asked a maid to take care of Stephanie.

With no one noticing, Stephanie gritted her teeth nervously as she shuddered a little.

It seemed like Stephanie looked worried about something she was hiding.

But she quickly changed her expression when she entered her room with Alice by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	11. Tracks Within Tracks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie thought about what Duncan had said to her, so, she decided to make a turn of events, with some adult help...

After Stephanie’s bruise from landing on the Gem of Sodor has healed, she has thought about what Duncan had said about not being able to travel around like what the others do.

She felt sorry for them for not being able to do it, so she decided to help them by making a change by asking Sir Topham Hatt.

So the next morning, at the correct time than before, Alice woke Stephanie up gently without shrieking at her like her other ‘maid.’

“Good morning, Stephanie!” Alice greeted her with a smile on her face. “Are you ready for a bright and lovely day?”

Stephanie nodded her head after Alice asked and got out of bed as she walked out of her room to let her have privacy to change.

Once she changed into her clothes, Stephanie went downstairs to ask Sir Topham Hatt about the idea she had in mind.

Stephanie was nervous about explaining what her idea was about adding smaller tracks inside the bigger tracks.

She thinks that Sir Topham Hatt would dismiss her idea, calling it silly, and continue with his day.

But she took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and walked up to Sir Topham Hatt as he was getting ready for work.

When she went up to Sir Topham Hatt before leaving for work, he noticed Stephanie and smiled softly, turning his attention to Stephanie.

“Hello, Stephanie,” he greeted. “What seems to be the problem today?”

“Nothing, Sir,” Stephanie answered. “I was wondering about something.”

A curious expression appeared on Sir Topham Hatt’s face.

“What is it?” he asked.

Stephanie paused for a moment about her thoughts, having self-doubt about Sir Topham Hatt’s reaction.

After being silent for a moment, Stephanie finally answered, “Do you think of adding rails inside the normal tracks for the narrow-gauge engines outside the quarry?”

Sir Topham Hatt thought to himself for a moment after Stephanie answered his question before asking, “Did the quarry engines back in the Blue Mountains talk to you while you stayed there?”

“Y-Yes, sir,” Stephanie nodded, placing her hands behind her back as she glanced down at the ground, blushing a little. “I just felt bad for them having to wait for Thomas or the other normal gauge engines to come to pick them up. So, I thought asking you to put a smaller pair of rails could help them.”

After a few minutes of silence, Sir Topham Hatt gently smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder, which was lucky for the bruise to be healed at this point.

“I think it is an excellent idea!” he smiled, causing Stephanie to perk a little. “I’ll let the workers at the Steamworks know to make more rails.”

Then, Stephanie felt nervous about other trains being crossed towards her to give Sir Topham Hatt the idea.

She thought that would slow down things for the work, and she would be blamed for getting the idea.

“But what about the other trains?” Stephanie questioned worriedly. “They might slow down a little since the workers are working on the rails.”

Sir Topham Hatt gently chuckled after Stephanie asked him about the other engines, placing his hand on her shoulder again after turning around to face the door.

He led her outside the mansion as Stephanie followed him by his side.

“Don’t worry about that, Stephanie.” Sir Topham Hatt assured. “The engines will either take a different route to go around or slow down a little.”

Stephanie perked more after Sir Topham Hatt assured her about the added problems with her idea, smiling gently.

“Thank you, Sir.” Stephanie thanked him.

They soon came up to the Steamworks with Winston, as Stephanie had her long brown hair up into a ponytail, remembering the last time she came here. 

Sir Topham Hatt stepped out of Winston and into the Steamworks, as Stephanie noticed that he had forgotten about the brakes again and did it for him.

“Thank you, Stephanie.” Winston thanked her as she nodded her head, stepping out of him and closing the door behind her back.

She and Sir Topham Hatt entered the Steamworks as Sir Topham Hatt called, “Victor? Where are you?”

“¡Un minuto por favor, señor!” Victor’s voice called, confusing Sir Topham Hatt.

Stephanie noticed Sir Topham Hatt’s expression on his face and reached up with a hand, gently tugging his sleeve to get his attention.

After that, he glanced down at Stephanie as she smiled reassuringly for the poor confused Sir Topham Hatt.

“He said, ‘One minute please, Sir.’” Stephanie translated to Sir Topham Hatt as he glanced over at her.

“Oh,” Sir Topham Hatt smiled. “Thank you, Stephanie.”

“¡De nada, Sir Topham Hatt!” Stephanie responded in Spanish, confusing Sir Topham Hatt again. “I responded with ‘You’re welcome.’”

“Oh,” Sir Topham Hatt blushed as he glanced away from Stephanie. “Maybe I should learn to speak in different languages.”

Stephanie giggled after Sir Topham Hatt blushed as Victor came over, noticing the two.

“What can I do for you two?” Victor asked.

“Well,” Sir Topham Hatt gently pushed Stephanie forward as she got shy again. “Stephanie has an idea that would change everything about the railway.”

Victor got confused when Sir Topham Hatt mentioned Stephanie, noticing that she was blushing and looking shy.

“What is the idea?” Victor gently asked, glancing over at her.

“Uh,” Stephanie blushed more, glancing up at him bravely. “I was with the Blue Quarry team, and I noticed how irritated Duncan was with having to wait for a regular gauged engine to come and pick up one of them, so I suggested to Sir Topham Hatt to get some rails into the tracks for engines to go around.”

Stephanie blushed more after she explained, reaching over to Sir Topham Hatt and hugged his arm, feeling shy and nervous about Victor’s thoughts about her idea.

Victor paused a little after Stephanie explained, before wincing slightly when a metallic clang echoed around the Steamworks.

“Kevin!” Victor sighed as Kevin called, “Sorry, boss! Slip of the hook!”

Stephanie gently giggled after Kevin called Victor before Victor turned back to Stephanie, responding, “I think the idea is magnificent! I sometimes wonder what the docks are now after so long have passed.”

A soft smile appeared on her face, as Victor added, “But, we need help from the Mainland with the Steelworks.”

“‘Steelworks?’” Stephanie repeated softly in confusion. “Don’t we have a Steelworks here?”

Sir Topham Hatt chuckled and said, “That is the Ironworks, Stephanie. ‘Arry and Bert work there to gather scraps and reuse them for rails.”

A soft shudder went down Stephanie’s back from Sir Topham Hatt’s explanation, remembering Moon’s words about what would happen if they were taken to the Ironworks.

“The Steelworks is where they made new rails for the rails, almost like the Ironworks here,” Sir Topham Hatt explains. “But uses iron from an iron mine.”

Stephanie’s curiosity grew a little from the explanation Sir Topham Hatt explained.

Stephanie smiled a little about how much information there was about this strange and mysterious island.

“That’s right,” Victor nodded in agreement. “That’s how we also get spare parts from too.”

“That’s impressive!” Stephanie beamed, feeling less shy about her idea. “But wouldn’t it take much money?”

Some of her nervousness was still with her, worried about what consequences would come with her idea.

“Yes, much,” Sir Topham Hatt nodded as Stephanie gulped nervously. “But it is not enough to be worried about.”

Stephanie sighed after Sir Topham Hatt assured her and stopped rubbing her fingers. 

Although, she is still a little self-doubting about her idea, even with all the assurance.

After visiting with Victor and Kevin, Sir Topham Hatt, Winston, and Stephanie drove to the Ironworks to see ‘Arry and Bert.

Along the way, Stephanie noticed the rusted, old, and faceless engines around in heaps of junk, including some parts that looked like large cogs and rusted barrels.

It looked like a graveyard for engines that made Stephanie’s heart skip a beat, glancing away from the scrap piles, and pitied those who did not make it.

After reaching the Ironworks, Sir Topham Hatt stepped out of Winston and, once again, forgot about the brakes.

Stephanie put the brakes on after seeing that he had forgotten them before stepping out and following Sir Topham Hatt.

Stephanie walked close to Sir Topham Hatt nervously as she stared out at the rusted engines, still feeling worried about how many have been rusting away for so long.

At times, she wanted to stay back with Winston to ignore what she was seeing but had to follow Sir Topham Hatt close behind to not be left behind.

Soon, Sir Topham Hatt stopped and called out, “‘Arry! Bert? Where are you two?”

After calling out the two names, two diesel horns went through the air, and two diesels that looked almost like Diesel by the basis appeared before Sir Topham Hatt.

Their base was based on Diesel, except they looked a little… scruffier than him.

The two diesels are painted green-grey with yellow hazard stripes on their fronts and yellow cabs.

They also have their company’s name, the Sodor Ironworks, painted on their sides in white.

‘These two are ‘Arry and Bert?’ Stephanie thought to herself when she noticed the two, glancing away from them to not show how nervous she was in front of them.

“What is it, sir?” they both asked simultaneously, noticing Stephanie slightly. “Is that your daughter?”

Stephanie’s cheeks blushed after one of them asked, as Sir Topham Hatt said, “No, she is someone else’s daughter, and she wants to tell you two an idea she has that she shared with Victor.”

Stephanie’s cheeks blushed shyly after Sir Topham Hatt mentioned to her by his side as she chuckled nervously.

“Um,” Stephanie glanced away from them as they waited for her to say what she had told Victor. “I was with the Blue Quarry team, and I noticed how irritated Duncan was with having to wait for a regular gauged engine to come and pick up one of them, so I suggested to Sir Topham Hatt to get some rails into the tracks for engines to go around.”

“That’s your idea?” the first twin asked, sounding confused.

Stephanie nodded her head, blushing more as she glanced down at the rails, feeling more sheepish and silly about her idea.

“I don’t know about that, Sir.” the first twin spoke as he glanced over at him. “That’s going to have to be a lot of rails to put down.”

“And replace.” Another added. “Since most of them are bumpy and old.”

Stephanie mentally whined to herself from the explanation, as Sir Topham Hatt said, “I know, but we will get help from the Steelworks in the Mainland, which means what when they get here, you two bring them to the Quarry and so on forth.”

As Sir Topham Hatt continued talking, Stephanie mentally drifted off in her thoughts about what her idea would continue with, thinking it would take longer than she thought.

She continued rubbing her wrist, at times scratching her arm underneath her shirt and sweater too.

After the conversation with ‘Arry and Bert was finished, Sir Topham Hatt took Stephanie to his office and called the Steelworks, as Stephanie was still anxious about what her idea would also lead to.

“Stephanie?” Stephanie snapped out of her thoughts after Sir Topham Hatt spoke, glancing up at him. “Where else do you want to place the tracks at?”

“Uh,” Stephanie stood back up to her feet after he asked, looking confused but still worried. “Why?”

“Well,” Sir Topham Hatt spoke. “You know there are narrow gauged engines at the Quarry and the Steamworks, but,” he pointed to the map with a rattan craps stick. “There are also mini engines in Arlesdale Railway and even some scattered around here a little.”

Stephanie paused a little after Sir Topham Hatt explained, blushing more as she stammered, “Thi-This is going to take a long time!”

Sir Topham Hatt noticed that Stephanie looked a little more stressed as she nervously chewed the back of her first finger.

“I’m sorry for giving such a stupid idea! I just thought, maybe I could help a little…” she drifted off as she glanced away from him. “But, I guess it was idiotic of me.”

“No, Stephanie,” Sir Topham Hatt said reassuringly, placing his hand on her shoulder. “It was a great idea! I know it is going to take a long time, a lot of work, and cause some changes, but it will help change the railway a little.”

Stephanie smiled after Sir Topham Hatt assured her before asking, “Why do you think it is stupid in the first place?”

She blushed more after he asked, saying, “Uh, I have some self-doubts.”

“Ah.” Sir Topham Hatt nodded. “Don’t worry, Stephanie. You can help me by showing me where each engine should go to.”

Stephanie nodded her head and glanced at the table, only noticing that a few pieces on the table to represent each engine.

But some wooden toys had numbers on them for each number that belonged to each engine.

The only problem is that the numbers were only from one to seven.

Pushing her glasses into place, Stephanie hummed softly to herself at the thought of what to do to add more figurines onto the map.

Her eyes drifted to some pieces of wood that were left to the side beside the desk.

Half of her was thinking about creating some more toy engines to represent more, mostly diesels and others, but the other half thought it might be firewood.

She decided to wait for the moment but placed each engine on the lines they worked on.

Even some other toys that represented the trucks and oil tanks to help with which job is which.

Meanwhile, Cranky, Carly, and Big Mickey were collecting crates from the ships and some tugboats.

Suddenly, a whistle and a bell went through the air, causing them to be surprised by the sound.

All three cranes looked at each other in confusion when they heard that whistle and bell, thinking it was Casey Jr.

“Was that Casey?” Carly asked, turning around to see who it was.

“Who’s Casey?” a voice asked in return, causing them to glance down.

It was not Casey Jr, but a rather unusual engine they had never seen before.

The engine’s basis was a North Pacific Coast Railroad Cab-Forward 4-4-0 No. 21, as the light turquoise paintwork was chipped a little with some rust, and on the front, she has a gold cowcatcher. 

Her front windows have a gold lining, and her side windows have a copper lining. 

She has brass nameplates fixated on each side of her cab with the name ‘Lexi.’

She even has the letters ‘N.P.C.R.R’ painted on the rear of her oil tank.

“Hi!” she greeted the cranes as she had a Scottish accent in her voice but was more fluent in English than Donald and Douglas. “Hi! Hi!”

As she spoke, her voice changed in different voices, confusing them a little from this strange engine that appeared before them.

“Goood morning, Sodor!” she greeted, as the dockyard engines looked confused.

“Who are you?” Porter asked, coming up to her as Salty noticed a long line of steel rails behind her on the flatbeds.

“I’m Lexi!” Lexi beamed. “And I’m an experimental engine!”

“So ye’re one o’ th’ engines Thomas ‘ave been tellin’ us?” Salty asked as Cranky unloaded the rails from her.

“Yep, I am!” Lexi beamed. “And who are you in return? Got a nice accent!”

Salty blushed from the compliment as Porter chuckled as he had spare flatbeds behind him for the rails to be unloaded, as Salty answered, “Me name be Salty, ‘n th’ engine by ye be Porter, me shipmate!”

“Pleased to meet ya!” Porter smiled as he went underneath Carly’s hook for the next flatbed to be unloaded.

“It’s nice to meet new engines!” Lexi proudly beamed as she looked at the world around her. “There is a lot to learn here!”

As the weeks went by, more and more new tracks were brought to Sodor by two engines or one, mostly a diesel or a steam locomotive.

The usual engine that sometimes visits the docks was a massive locomotive named ‘Merlin’ to Stephanie’s curiosity.

From the conversation between the two workers, Merlin’s basis is based on an SR King Arthur Class 783 Sir ‘ _ Gillemere _ ,’ and is painted in a silver color with a red running board and wheels and black smoke deflectors. 

He has red and gold nameplates on either side with his name on it, and his number, seven hundred and eighty-three, are also painted white on his front buffer beam, the sides of his cab, and tender.

But the strangest thing is that Merlin uses his three funnels to make himself ‘disappear’ into thin air, which made Stephanie feel more curious about him.

Instead of walking away from Sir Topham Hatt to see Merlin for herself, Stephanie instead stayed by his side, watching how her plan was coming out so far.

She, Winston, and Sir Topham Hatt inspect each rail to see how the work is doing, as Stephanie’s nervousness continued growing as each minute has passed.

During one of the visits to one of the rails that run through Thomas’s branch line, Stephanie reached up with a hand and scratched at her left arm, feeling nervous about what would happen next.

Sir Topham Hatt watched how the work was doing, as Stephanie was sitting in the passenger’s seat next to the driver’s, as Winston was keeping an eye on her.

“What do you think?” Winston asked, snapping her out of her thoughts, and stopped scratching at her arm. “Your idea is great!”

Stephanie blushed slightly from Winston’s remark as she glanced away from him before he asked, “Did you get the idea from Ulfstead Castle?”

A slightly confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face when he mentioned Ulfstead Castle as she moved her sleeve down her semi-bleeding arm.

“Why the castle?” she asked, cocking her head to the side curiously.

“Because there are narrow rails there that are for the narrow-gauge engines,” Winston explained. “Usually, Luke or the other engines visit there.”

“Oh,”‌ Stephanie chuckled as she blushed sheepishly again. “I didn’t think the quarry was close to the castle.”

But Stephanie gently smiled after he explained, feeling a little proud of herself.

Earlier in the next day, Luke was getting rocks in his trucks behind him, thinking about the strange construction people coming when they worked at night.

He watched with confusion as they worked on the rails around the quarry, adding to a new pair of tracks and repairing the old ones too.

Skarloey responded that they might be replacing the old rails because they might buckle underneath them since they are carrying heavy slate trucks.

But Luke had a feeling that there might be more to the rails than what Skarloey suggested.

And he was right!

They woke up the next day only to see rails within the ones they have, looking like the larger steam engines could pass around.

Just as Thomas entered, he pulled a long line of trucks behind him as he noticed some confused expressions on their faces.

“What seems to be wrong?” Thomas asked as he returned to the slate hopper.

“Well,” Rheneas spoke as he passed by Thomas with a line of trucks coupled behind him. “We were surprised to see the workers working on the rails around the quarry.”

Luke nodded in agreement as he watched Thomas stopping underneath the slate hopper and added, “When we woke up, we saw there was a new pair of tracks added in over the old pair.”

Thomas realized what Rheneas was saying and nodded in agreement.

“I noticed the same thing too, Rheneas,” Thomas spoke as the slates were added to his trucks. “There were smaller rails in the sheds at Knapford station too.”

Luke felt more confused and curious as Thomas whistled his whistle and puffed off with the trucks of slates behind him.

So, during the day, Luke felt more and more curious about the new tracks.

Soon, the Blue Mountain Quarry manager came over to Luke and asked him if he wanted to go to the docks to pick something up there.

Luke was surprised and confused after he had asked, but agreed and went off to the docks.

He does know the way to the docks but never thought he was going there by himself.

Once he had reached the entrance, he stopped for a moment, thinking about what the manager might be doing.

He had doubts about the new tracks, too, including what the outside would look like.

But Luke gathered his courage and exited the quarry, heading towards the docks as he remembered where it was before.

Despite knowing that he is about to be lost, Luke made it a challenge for him to know his way through Sodor.

He even watched the cars pass by on the road and even noticed some animals on the farms, too.

On the way towards Brendam Docks, he was impressed at how amazing the outside looked, feeling less doubtful about what would happen next.

Sure, he did see a few confused engines about a narrow-gauge engine on the tracks, but he continued puffing along the way, heading to the docks.

Once he had reached the docks with a flatbed behind him, Luke was surprised to see how well working the cranes were, along with the engines.

Cranky noticed Luke as he entered the docks and glanced down at him as he puffed to a stop.

“Hey!” he remarked, startling the little engine as he flinched from the sudden voice, glancing up and noticing him. “I remember you! You’re that little green engine that accidentally knocked that yellow engine off the boat!”

Luke slightly blushed after Cranky remarked, before saying, glancing up at him, “That was years ago! Err, I didn’t get to know your name, though.”

“My name is Cranky,” Cranky answered with a slight grouch tone in his voice. “Cranky the crane.”

“And I am Carly,” Carly winked before mentioning Big Mickey with her arm. “The big crane over here is named Big Mickey.”

“Luke is my name,” Luke smiled before hearing a diesel’s horn honking at him, causing him to glance over to see who it was.

“Ahoy, heartie!” Salty greeted. “Are ye new here?”

Luke blinked in confusion before responding, “I came from the quarry.”

“Th’ Blue Mountain Quarry?” Salty asked, cocking his body to the side.

Luke nodded, answering Salty’s question as Porter came over to see what the conversation was about.

“I came here many years ago, too,” Luke added, explaining to Salty.

He noticed someone dressed in blue on the docks, glancing around while standing near a familiar railway inspection car.

An excited expression appeared on his face when he noticed that person, not seeing that Cranky was about to load him with a crate in his arm.

“Stephanie!” Luke moved forward as Cranky yelped.

He moved the crate back up after Luke moved away from him and the flatbeds behind him.

“Hey!” Cranky exclaimed with a huff of irritation.

Stephanie heard Luke call her name and glanced over before chuckling.

“Hi, Luke,” Stephanie greeted him before noticing Cranky with a peevish expression on his face. “Uh, Cranky was about to load your flatbeds.”

Luke realized what he was doing and blushed sheepishly, moving back underneath Cranky with the flatbeds behind him.

“Oops, uh, sorry about that,” Luke apologized, stopping underneath Cranky’s arm.

“Be careful next time,” Cranky warned. “I might accidentally drop it too.”

Salty chuckled as he went off, getting more flatbeds as Cranky started loading.

Stephanie walked up to Luke and asked, “How are you since you are out of the quarry instead of having to wait for an engine to pick you up?”

A surprised expression appeared on Luke’s face when Stephanie asked him that question, stammering, “A-Are you the one that asked the worker to place those tracks down?”

Stephanie gently chuckled and said, answering Luke’s question, “Not really. I asked Sir Topham Hatt.”

She rubbed the back of her neck from underneath her long brown hair, adding, “Since what Duncan said about having to wait for Thomas or anyone else to come, I felt bad for him. So, I‌ asked Sir Topham Hatt, and he agreed to help me with it.”

Luke smiled and said, “Thank you, Steph!‌ I always wanted to see what Thomas or the others are like on the tracks!”

Stephanie gently chuckled as she blushed, glancing away from him slightly.

“Excuse me,”‌ Stephanie flinched when Diesel appeared, honking his horn. “You’re in the way, Stephanie.”

Stephanie stepped back when Diesel grunted that she was in his way, stepping off the tracks Diesel was on.

“Sorry about that, Diesel,”‌ Stephanie apologized.

Luke softly gasped when he noticed Diesel, feeling scared in front of him as he waited patiently to be loaded.

“Hurry up!” Diesel snapped before honking his horn as loudly as he could.

“In a minute!” Cranky snapped back before grumbling about something as he turned around.

Diesel scoffed as he glanced away from Cranky before noticing Luke by his side.

“How did you get here?”‌ Diesel asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Luke gulped and answered, between stammers, “I, uh, there were narrow tracks.”

Diesel glanced down at the tracks after Luke answered, now noticing what he meant.

“Oh, did Sir Topham Hatt finally do this?” Diesel asked, oddly acting a little friendly.

Luke blinked in confusion before Stephanie answered, stepping forward a little, “No, I‌ asked Sir Topham Hatt.”

Then it was Diesel’s turn to be confused.

“You?” Diesel asked.

Stephanie nodded her head, answering Diesel’s confused question.

“Yeah, just as I explained to Luke,” Stephanie continued. “I felt bad for them having to wait for someone who is regularly gauged to pick them up, so I asked him to place them in separate tracks.”

Diesel glanced over at Luke as he sheepishly but nervously smiled.

“That’s weirdly nice of you, Steph.” Diesel remarked.

“Not as much as you are weirdly nice, too,” Stephanie remarked back.

Diesel huffed and glanced away, mumbling as he blushed slightly, “I got in trouble.”

Luke was surprised at how soft Diesel was acting in front of Stephanie, expecting him to harass Luke for what happened years ago.

As soon as the last crate was placed on his flatbed, Luke puffed off to return to the quarry.

He was half confused, half surprised at how kind Stephanie was to the engines.

Unlike Sir Topham Hatt, Stephanie understood how they felt, placing the engines first before her.

Luke imagined what Stephanie would be like in the future if Sir Topham Hatt gave his fortune to her.

Stephanie could be an excellent conductor and would always listen to every engine’s words about what is happening to them.

But Luke knows that Stephanie belongs to someone other than Sir Topham Hatt and is a little saddened at the thought.

Then, he heard something honking, causing him to glance up and saw Bertie the bus by the road, picking up passengers from the ferry.

“Hello!‌” Bertie greeted him as he honked his horn again towards Luke.

Luke smiled and whistled back, continuing on the track once the flatbeds were filled from Cranky and Carly.

Once he had reached the quarry, the other narrow-gauge engines were surprised to see him.

“How was it out there with no one else’s help?” Sir Handel asked curiously.

“Was it scary?”‌ Rheneas asked.

Luke was silent after they had asked, before smiling.

“It was great out there!” he smiled. “Maybe someday you all would like to have a turn!”

With that, he went to unload the flatbed to Merrick, leaving the engines curious and confused.

Meanwhile, Victor received a call that there was a spare part for him to collect, this time, without having someone else deliver it to him.

Victor traveled a little outside the Steamworks, reaching the docks to get more parts for other engines.

Cranky was confused when he noticed Victor asking if he had seen him before, like how he had seen Luke.

Chuckling, Victor responded to him in Spanish, the language he used when he first arrived at the docks.

Cranky remarked that it was the same language that the yellow engine had once spoken and told Victor that he was relieved to see he was okay.

Victor responded that he was taken to the Steamworks to be repaired from the damage.

Cranky was relieved to hear that about Victor before loading his flatbed with the parts he needs.

Warrior did accidentally bump into the ship Cranky was unloading but apologized for it, even after being a little snapped at by one of the crewmembers.

Stephanie was impressed that everyone else was getting along with the narrow-gauge engines and working well.

Sir Topham Hatt praised her for her idea, causing Stephanie to feel more bashful in front of him, but more likely in front of Thomas himself.

Thomas was impressed that Stephanie was creative with her ideas, but soon, everything could take an unexpected turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	12. A Day By The Bay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie is with Ten Cents, only to discover that there is more to the docks.

Stephanie was feeling unsure of herself being at the docks since the last time she was with Sunshine.

Because Captain Bluenose took her away from him because of a ‘rule’ and traumatized her!

A shudder went down her spine at the thought of meeting that Navy tugboat again, seeing him getting angry at her for no reason and taking her away.

But as soon as Thomas reached the docks, Stephanie was lifted from his cab by his fireman.

After Stephanie was picked up from inside Thomas’ cab, she was placed down onto the docks outside.

“Just be careful,” Thomas’ driver warned her before leaving. “As you know, not all tugs or any water-related machines are friendly. And keep an eye out for Bluenose.”

Stephanie nodded her head after Thomas’s driver gave her the warning, watching Thomas puff off to work before noticing that Ten Cents was coming.

“Hi, Ten Cents!” Stephanie greeted, waving her hand, trying to change the mood in her mind.

Ten Cents glanced over, and noticed Stephanie, smiled and whistled his whistle.

“Hello, Steph!” Ten Cents smiled before looking slightly confused. “What are you doin’ here?”

“Sir Topham Hatt allowed me to have a look around the bay,” Stephanie answered, waiting patiently to board him. “He said I have only seen half of it since the incident with Bluenose.”

Ten Cents nodded in agreement and said, glancing around, “It’s sometimes peaceful around here, but Murdoch sometimes minds it.”

He was angry at Captain Bluenose for the incident but was relieved when Sherri placed Stephanie into Glynn’s trucks by accident.

Soon, Stephanie was placed onto his deck, and she walked over to Ten Cents’ side for safety.

She sat down comfortably and watched as Ten Cent’s barge was being emptied, and he whistled his whistle, heading away from the docks.

Big Mickey asked Ten Cents to be careful with Stephanie, and he assured Big Mickey, along with the other cranes, that Stephanie was going to be safe this time.

Although Ten Cents was not confident that he could be right, he was sure that Stephanie would be at this time.

Stephanie watched the scenery while thinking to herself, feeling relieved and relaxed.

But there were times where Stephanie would glance around in case if Captain Bluenose comes, getting ready to hide from him when he appears.

“Hey,” Stephanie’s thoughts were snapped when Ten Cents spoke, causing her to glance over her shoulder at him. “Whatcha thinkin’ of?”

Stephanie glanced up at him and answered, “I was thinking of how peaceful this place is.”

Ten Cents nodded with agreement and said, glancing around, “It’s sometimes peaceful around here, but Murdoch sometimes minds it.”

A slightly confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face when Ten Cents mentioned ‘Murdoch.’

“Who’s ‘Murdoch?’” Stephanie curiously asked.

“Murdoch is a steam engine, who comes to Brendam Docks to deliver goods.” Ten Cents explained. “Even though he hates comin’ here because of the noises, he still is provin’ himself useful.”

Stephanie’s curiosity grew more every time Ten Cents explained something to her.

Soon, they reached an unfamiliar dock that Stephanie had never seen before.

There were unfamiliar engines Stephanie had never seen before, and most of them looked busier than Brendan Docks.

Most never paid attention to noticing Stephanie on his deck either.

“Welcome to the Crotoonia Docks, Steph!” Ten Cents mentioned, perking Stephanie’s attention.

“I have never been here before, Ten Cents,” Stephanie remarked, before flinching when a horn went off. “It’s a little noisier here than Brendam Docks.”

Ten Cents chuckled as he went underneath a crane and said, “Sure, it is noisy here, but that means that everyone around here is working as hard as they could.”

Stephanie perked from Ten Cents’ words before noticing a small engine trying to push a flatbed twice its size to a siding.

The engine pushing the flatbed looked like a Pioneer, a 4-2-0 locomotive for the Chicago and North Western Railway.

The little engine’s boiler, cab, and drive wheels are painted blue, while her leading wheels are painted red, and she is trimmed in gold.

“Who is that little engine, Ten Cents?” Stephanie asked, walking across his deck and pointed to the struggling engine.

“Who?” Ten Cents glanced over at whom Stephanie was mentioning and noticed the little engine. “Oh, that’s Tracy! Oi, Tracy!”

Tracy, the little engine, stopped after hearing her name, glancing over to the side, and noticed Ten Cents with his barge being unloaded by a crane.

“Oh, hi, Ten Cents!” she greeted. “I didn’t see you there!”

“Tracy, you know better not to overdo yourself.” Ten Cents softly spoke. “You might burst a screw loose or pop one of your wheels.”

Stephanie shuddered after Ten Cents warned Tracy of pushing herself.

She imagined that would happen to her if she was an engine like Tracy.

“I know,” Tracy sighed as a workman uncoupled her and allowed her to back away. “You’re acting like the Tower.”

Ten Cents chuckled and said, “That’s because she taught me to be careful. Sometimes, bein’ small can mean little things, but can take big opportunities.”

Stephanie blinked with a slightly surprised expression on her face before glancing away, thinking to herself about the words Ten Cents said.

“Hey, Ten Cents? Who’s the little girl on your deck?” Stephanie snapped out of her thoughts and glanced over, noticing that Tracy now saw her.

Ten Cents glanced over at Stephanie and answered, “She’s a visitor. Sir Topham Hatt allowed her to follow me to have a look around the Docks.”

Tracy glanced over at Stephanie with a slightly confused expression on her face.

Shyly, Stephanie waved hello to her while blushing slightly.

“Tracy?” a voice asked, catching her attention. “Where are you? There are some smaller trucks for you to push.”

Tracy flinched after a voice called to her, glancing away from Stephanie on Ten Cents’ deck.

“Oh, coming!” she called before speeding off.

Stephanie watched with curiosity as she sped off before Ten Cents went off again after his barge was emptied by the crane.

“That’s Tracy, Stephanie.” Ten Cents smiled as he glanced down at her. “She may seem to be smaller than the other engines, but she is pretty brave.”

“I think she is amazing!” Stephanie beamed. “Someday, I would like to meet her in person!”

Ten Cents chuckled and said, as Stephanie watched the work on the docks, “If Sir Topham Hatt allows you to come here to Crotoonia Docks.”

Stephanie slightly blushed as she glanced away from Ten Cents, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.

“Or don’t get into items that could get me here.” Stephanie sheepishly spoke as Ten Cents chuckled again.

“Learned your lesson?” Ten Cents lightly teased.

Stephanie did not look up at Ten Cents as she continued to watch the work from the docks.

She was a little too embarrassed to continue talking to Ten Cents.

As Stephanie looked out to the side, she could see many engines from different bases were out of Sir Topham Hatt’s father’s book.

Despite staying on Ten Cents’ deck under his watch, Stephanie does not seem like this was boring.

Preferably, she thought it was adventuresome and liked to thoughtfully describe what the type of engines are and what fuel they run on.

Ten Cents was surprised that Stephanie was distracted by looking out on his side rather than complaining about how bored she was.

He was expecting Stephanie to be impatient and always wanting to go somewhere instead of where Ten Cents was heading.

But, this was different from what he suspected.

A horn took Ten Cents’ attention away from Stephanie as he was startled by the noise, glancing around for those who made the noise when he noticed it was Hank.

Stephanie even flinched from the horn honking and jumped a few inches off the crate, almost falling off but getting her balance back.

“Hank!” Ten Cents sighed. “Don’t do that again! You might scare someone to death!”

“Sorry!” Hank chuckled. “But, I got you good, didn’t I?”

Ten Cents nodded in agreement as Stephanie listened to the conversation between the two as Ten Cents went along the side, entering another part of the Crotoonia Docks.

Stephanie was surprised at how immersive the second part of the Crotoonia Docks was, watching engines of all kinds getting different trucks, moving flatbeds around, and being as busy as a bee.

She wants to be as busy as they are but knows that she is only eleven years old, short, and does not look healthy.

Her spirits were a little down after she remembered the appearance of her body, feeling like a walking skeleton.

Stephanie watched as Warrior passed by Ten Cents, whistling his whistle as Ten Cents did the same thing.

From the back of her head, Stephanie wonders what she would look like if she got her whistle like them?

She reaches up to her neck and thoughtfully thought to herself about having a whistle of her own.

But from underneath her sweater and shirt, Stephanie felt a necklace from around her neck.

Stephanie felt the necklace around her neck with her hand, thinking to herself about a memory in her mind.

“Hey, Stephanie?” Stephanie’s mind snapped back into reality after hearing Ten Cent’s voice, glancing over at him. “I might need to let my crew members work on some things from a barge, so I have to drop you off at a dock.”

Stephanie’s worry came as she looked worried, but then Ten Cents added, “But I promise to come back after working on it, okay?”

Stephanie paused a little after Ten Cents assured her after explaining, before nodding her head.

Half of her wanted to stay with Ten Cents because of her fear of meeting Captain Bluenose, but the other half wanted to follow Ten Cent’s rule and promise, believing in him to come back to pick her up again.

So, once Ten Cents stopped at the dock that had some people there, Stephanie was dropped off, and being polite, she sat down on a crate to wait for him to come back.

“Wait right here, okay?” Ten Cents asked before whistling his whistle and went off. “I’ll be back soon!”

“Okay!” Stephanie called him before he left. “Take care, Ten Cents!”

Ten Cents whistled again after Stephanie called him, before shakily sighing as she sat back down on the crate, feeling more nervous.

She did  _ not _ want to see, hear, or encounter Captain Bluenose.

As minutes passed, Stephanie continued sitting where she was, fidgeting with her fingers, mostly rubbing them and scratching her left or right arm with her nails.

As much as they were cut, Stephanie kept scratching at her arms, applying some pressure on it a little to get her mind off her paranoia.

Stephanie stopped scratching a little when she noticed that she would open a scratch wound on her arm and bleed before glancing away.

Until her eyes noticed something on the side of the docks where no one else was standing.

It was a large crate filled with forearm-lengthed logs and a small box that was halfway open.

Stephanie’s curiosity grew when she noticed the crate and the small box inside, wanting to know what was inside that box.

She hesitated a little at the thought of someone getting angry at her for messing with something that belongs to them, but eventually, her curiosity got the best of her.

Stephanie stood up from the crate she was sitting on and walked over to the bin, peering inside to see that there were many logs inside, as some of them had their bark scraped off a little.

Picking up the bin from the ground, Stephanie walked back to where she was sitting and sat back down, taking the box out from inside.

She opened it and saw that there were carving tools inside, covered in some dust, and looked new.

‘Maybe no one was interested in this?’ Stephanie thought to herself, taking out one of the knives and looking at it. ‘There is no hint that anyone has been using it.’

She placed the knife back into the box and thought to herself more, tapping her fingers against her chin.

Stephanie remembered Sir Topham Hatt’s map with the engines, seeing that each one only stopped from one to seven, which popped an idea into her mind.

Seeing a box filled with paint, Stephanie took that box over to where she was sitting, along with a bucket filled with water, and started to work.

Picking one of the logs out of the bin, Stephanie took out a handheld bark spud from the inside of the box.

Once she had taken the bark spud out, Stephanie started to scrape the bark off the log in her hand.

Luckily, Stephanie also took an empty pail she had seen with her eyes, scraping the bark into it.

Once she had scraped the bark off the log in her hand, Stephanie placed the bark spud back into the box and took out a pencil.

Stephanie went to sketch a shape onto the log’s surface, adding some details into it too as she sat there on the crate.

Once the shape was finished, Stephanie placed the pencil back into the box and took out a chip carving knife from inside.

Stephanie carved the log in her hand to make a sculpture she had sketched out, pushing her glasses into place once in a while with a single finger.

At times, she would also poke at her fingers with small splinters but stop a few times to get the shavings out and go back to work.

Once she had gotten the shape out of the log after an hour had passed, Stephanie then took out a carpenter’s chisel, along with a small hammer, and started to carefully chisel out from spots that were supposed to be hallowed.

Having to kneel in front of the crate she was sitting in, Stephanie continued working on the project she had started, spending the time she had from having to wait for Ten Cents to come.

After the project was finished being carved, chiseled, and scrubbed with a scrubby, Stephanie placed the hammer, chisel, and scrubby away, wiping some sweat off her forehead.

The project in her hand was a small steam locomotive with the same basis as Thomas.

But it looked real and did not have a face on it either.

Stephanie pushed her glasses into place after almost finishing her project but noticed that something was missing from it.

So, she picked the small train up from the crate and sat back down, seeing that the  _ colors _ were missing from it.

Stephanie placed the train in her lap after seeing the problem and pushed her sleeves up a little.

But after pushing her sleeves up, it was revealed that there were some  _ scars _ on her wrists.

Stephanie took a paintbrush out of the paint bin and painted the train bright blue, as some parts of the locomotive were in black with silver colors.

Once the paint has dried, Stephanie switched paintbrushes with a thinner one, using red for the lining.

Then, she painted the outside of the windows and some parts of the train in yellow too.

She even painted the number one on the sides of the tanks, making the number one perfect.

Later, Stephanie stopped and looked at her creation that she had made, which was a small model of what looked to be Thomas!

She nodded to herself after seeing that there was no mistake on her project before placing it away and started cleaning a little.

Stephanie even emptied the bucket filled with shavings into a siting where there was not enough mulch for the plants.

Once she had finished cleaning the brushes and the water, Stephanie went to work on another project with another log.

As more hours passed, Stephanie soon finished other locomotives based on the engines she had met, including the steamboats.

After Stephanie finished one of them, she smiled with pride at her work before glancing up at the sky to see that it was past five o’clock.

‘Oh, crap!’ Stephanie exclaimed, instantly standing up to her feet. ‘It’s past five! Where’s Ten Cents?!’

Stephanie quickly cleaned the spot she was sitting in to get ready for Ten Cents to come, deciding to take the bins, crates, and box with her to show Sir Topham Hatt what she had found, along with the projects she made, too.

After her last project was in the crate, Stephanie glanced around from where she was, wondering to herself where Ten Cents was.

‘Did he forget about me?’ Stephanie thought to herself with worry, tapping her fingers against her cheek.

Stephanie softly whined to herself at the thought of why Ten Cents had not come yet, until she heard something zooming down the road behind her, causing her to be confused and glanced over her shoulder.

A blur of yellow with white zoomed down the road past Stephanie’s eyes, causing her to look confused about who or what that could be.

After seeing the blur, a screech went through the air, causing Stephanie to be confused by the sudden noise. 

Then, a car-shaped object backed up after screeching to a halt, which revealed itself to be Ace!

“Stephanie?” Ace spoke, turning around from the road and drove up to her. “Wat ahah ya doin’ here?”

“Well,” Stephanie spoke, blushing sheepishly. “Ten Cents said that he needed his crew to be working on a barge that meant to be on his deck, so he dropped me off here until it is done.”

She mentioned the bin was filled with carved locomotives inside and with leftover logs inside too.

“I found this while waiting for him to come back,” Stephanie smiled as she picked one of the carved locomotives out of it to show. “And made models from Thomas, his crew, Salty, and all the engines I know of in this bin.”

“Is theah one in theah that looked liyyke me?” Ace asked, beaming slightly with pride.

“I’m sorry, Ace.” Stephanie blushed. “I started with the locomotives first.”

“Oh,” Ace sighed as he glanced away. “That’s okay.”

Then he remembered why he was here and glanced back over at Stephanie, asking, “Did Ten Cents come here?”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” Stephanie softly winced as she placed the wooden locomotive away. “Ten Cents haven’t arrived here after,” she paused as she counted with her fingers, which were covered in small red dots and smears of paint. “Eight or seven hours passed.”

“That long?!” Ace exclaimed. “Ya even made those wile waitin’ fawr him?”

“Yes,” Stephanie nodded. “But I’m more worried about Sir Topham Hatt. He’ll lose his cap if he notices that I have not returned home in time! Even past lunchtime too.”

She chewed on the back of her first finger in worry as Ace’s car door from his driver’s side opened, revealing to be his driver.

“Don’t wawrry about that, kiddo!” Ace smiled. “We can take ya theah in a jiffy!”

Something seemed to set Stephanie’s panic off a little, causing her to take a step backwards as her face paled slightly.

“Wh-What?” Stephanie stammered, shaking like a leaf and scratched at her left arm, forgetting about her sleeves pushed up a little. “No, no, th-thank you. I’m fine, I ca-”

Before she could continue with her sentence, Ace’s driver picked her up from the ground, causing her to yelp out of startlement.

“Don’t wawrry about it, kiddo!” Ace assured her again as his driver opened his back car doors, placing her down. “If ya ahah wawrried about bein’ a little too fast, I can slow down a little fawr ya.”

‘That’s not what I am worried about.’ Stephanie winced softly to herself as Ace’s driver placed her bin filled with items down beside her, which she had luckily screwed the paint bottles’ lids on.

Stephanie placed her arm over her bin to keep it from sliding off the seat and crashing her projects, mostly to keep her nerves down a little.

Ace’s driver sat back down in the seat and started driving, causing Stephanie to hiss softly in fear, curling her toes and clenching her hand tightly.

True to his word, Ace was a  _ little _ slower than his usual speed but was still fast, unlike Sir Topham Hatt’s car.

Stephanie felt her entire body pushed against the cushions behind her back as Ace continued zooming down the road as fast as he could.

He passed by Bertie the bus as he honked his horn, as Bertie scowled at him as he passed by him at a fast rate, not even waiting for him to move out of the way.

Half of her wanted to shout out to stop Ace from driving too fast, worried that he might crash into people, cars, or anything that was blocking his way.

But she did not want Sir Topham Hatt to panic and got into a fret to search for her, so Stephanie instead went silent and went along with the ride.

They soon reached Knapford station, and Ace stopped as Stephanie shakily sighed, pushing back a strand of wild hair from her face.

“We’ah here, kiddo!” Ace smiled as his driver opened the door and stepped out.

Stephanie nervously smiled after Ace smiled, allowing herself to be picked up by Ace’s driver and placed down on the ground.

Her legs were like jellos, so she collapsed on the ground, startling Ace’s driver as he reached down for her to pick her up again.

“You alright?” Ace asked, noticing that she collapsed after being placed down.

“Y-Yeah,” Stephanie stammered as she stood back up to her feet, leaning against Ace’s driver for support in case she collapses on the ground again. “I’m just a little shaken up.”

“Oh,” Ace smiled as she shakily walked over to him. “Ya’ve nevah been in a race cahr liyyke me?”

A sheepish blush appeared on Stephanie’s cheeks after he asked, nodding her head as she placed a hand on her cheek, embarrassed at her lack of experience.

“That’s fine, kiddo!” Ace smiled. “Maybe I was bein’ a little  _ too _ fast fawr ya. Remind me next time ta be at Bertie’s speed.”

Stephanie nodded her head after Ace told her to remind him if they meet again, as Ace’s driver handed her the bin filled with the items inside.

Once Stephanie was handed her bin, Ace honked his horn, which startled some passengers waiting for the train.

They flinched from Ace’s horn and glancing over at him with a scowl.

“Excuse me?” Ace called. “Is Sir Topham ‘att here?”

The door to the office opened after Ace honked his horn, revealing to be a confused Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt.

“Who called my name?” Sir Topham Hatt asked, glancing around for the person.

“Ovah here, Sir,” Ace called, as Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt glanced over, seeing Ace with a nervous Stephanie.

“Hello, Sir Topham Hatt and Mrs. Hatt.” Stephanie gulped, moving her head down a little in shame.

Without warning, Dowager Hatt came over to Stephanie and hugged her, causing Stephanie to yelp in startlement after being embraced, luckily not dropping her bin to the ground.

“There you are, Stephanie!” Sir Topham Hatt sighed. “We were worried about you!”

“I found hah ovah at the Anchawrage ‘ahrbawr.” Ace nodded, mentioning over to Stephanie. “She said that ten cents left hah theah ta wawrk on a bahrge that needed ta be on his deck. But he didn’t come back afder some hours ‘ad passed.”

Ace paused a little before adding, “I reckon he did fawrget about hah.”

Stephanie blushed more from Ace’s explanation of his side of the story of Ten Cents’ accident, as Dowager Hatt released her, before noticing her hands.

“Goodness, Stephanie,” Dowager Hatt said, as Stephanie placed the bin down and showed Dowager Hatt her hands. “What on Earth happened to your hands?”

“Um,” Stephanie gulped softly. “I found a bin that has carving tools in it with logs.”

She reached into the bin and took out a carved Thomas the Tank Engine toy from inside, showing it to an impressed Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt.

“Earlier, while in Sir Topham Hatt’s office,” Stephanie explained, perking a little. “I noticed that there were not enough engines to represent most of the Steam Team or any other engines, so I made these to represent them.”

Her blush reached the tips of her ears, biting the bottom of her lip with her front teeth nervously.

“I think these are creative!” Dowager Hatt smiled. “I’ve been meaning to get something to help upgrade Sir Topham Hatt’s office a little, but I think these are suitable!”

“Mother.” Sir Topham Hatt blushed as Ace chuckled.

“I’m glad that everything’s fine,” Ace nodded as his driver sat back down in the driver’s seat. “But I gotta go. See ya, kiddo!”

Stephanie waved her hand at Ace as he left with a honk of his horn, as Dowager Hatt noticed the scars on Stephanie’s wrists of both of her arms, along with small red scratches.

“Er, Stephanie?” Dowager Hatt spoke, mentioning her arm as Sir Topham Hatt looked at the other carved projects she had made. “Are those scars on your arms?”

Stephanie flinched when she mentioned her arms, glancing down at them and, to Dowager Hatt’s confusion, moved her sleeves down over them.

“Uh, y-yes, they are.” Stephanie stammered. “They are sometimes from sharp twigs and thorns I went through from my backyard forest when I was younger as an adventurer.”

There was a feeling in Dowager Hatt after Stephanie pulled her sleeves over her wrists, thinking there was something  _ else _ about Stephanie’s family or her foster-father that she did not know of.

Rather than pushing her into telling her or inquiring her again, Dowager Hatt instead kept it to herself.

Sir Topham Hatt then took Stephanie into his office to stay for the rest of the day, without being left behind by accident.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ten Cents  _ did _ forget about Stephanie and entered the Star Tugs’ port, meeting with the rest of the Star Tugs.

“ _ Ah, hello, Ten Cents! _ ” Captain Star greeted him.

“Afternoon, Captain!” Ten Cents nodded.

While everyone was talking, Warrior noticed something  _ off _ about Ten Cents, feeling like  _ something _ was missing from his desk.

“Hey, Ten Cents?” Warrior spoke, interrupting the conversation of the group.

“Oh, what is it now, Warrior?” Top Hat griped, glancing over to Warrior.

“Where’s Stephanie?” Instantly, silence fell through the Star Tugs’ port, as Ten Cents’ face paled, pursing his lips in worry and realization.

“Oh, crap.” Ten Cents muttered.

“ _ YOU LOST STEPHANIE?! _ ” _ _ Captain Star exclaimed through the megaphone, almost dropping it from the window.

“You gave me a job, Captain!” Ten Cents panicked. “I didn’t want her to get lost while inside or get hurt! I stopped at a dock to drop her off!”

“Which dock?!” Sunshine exclaimed. “There is a lot of docks ‘round here!”

A long pause came from Ten Cents after Sunshine pointed out the obvious, saying, “I don’t remember.”

If the Star Tugs had arms, they would do a facepalm at this moment.

Behind them, Hercules was coming into the dock after hearing the exclamation from Captain Star, asking, “What’s goin’ on here, m’dears?”

“Ten Cents here forgot where he dropped Stephanie off with a job Captain Star gave him.” Big Mac gruffly explained, as Ten Cents blushed.

“Ah, I see.” Hercules nodded. “I’ve received a call from Sir Topham Hatt to let me know that Stephanie was found by someone.”

“ _ Who is it? _ ” Captain Star asked, sounding a little concerned.

“Ace,” Hercules answered. “He took her back to Knapford after Ten Cents forgot about her and was a lucky girl.”

He chuckled as he came over to the side and continued, “Next time, Ten Cents, give Stephanie to someone you can trust after gettin’ a job from Captain Star.”

Ten Cents blushed more after Hercules warned him, as large puffs of steam came out of his smokestack.

It almost did cause a panic for the team, but, true to Hercules’ words, Stephanie was a lucky girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	13. The First Day Of School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dowager Hatt decided to send Stephanie to school from being lost on Sodor, but... did not suspect things would change there...

The next day, Dowager Hatt sat Stephanie down at the table to reveal something when Sir Topham Hatt was at work.

“Stephanie,” she spoke as Stephanie listened to her. “Have you ever been to school before?”

Stephanie paused a little after Dowager Hatt asked, responding as she shook her head a little, “No, not what I can think of.” 

She reached up with a hand and gently scratched her head a little, thinking of some memories in her mind.

“I was mostly homeschooled,” Stephanie continued, remembering some memories.

This confused Dowager Hatt after Stephanie answered her question, thinking to herself for a moment.

Stephanie cocked her head to the side a little and asked, “Are you thinking of sending me to school?”

“That was the idea.” Dowager Hatt nodded in agreement, glancing back over to her. “But this is a different school.”

“How different?” Stephanie politely asked, feeling more curious about the new school she is going to.

“Well,” Dowager Hatt began, thinking to herself. “The school I remember when I was your age was strict. We had to wear the uniforms they told us and follow the rules.”

She paused as she chuckled fondly at the memories in her mind of the good times.

“You should’ve seen Topham’s and Lowham’s school pictures when they were young.” Dowager Hatt smiled.

Stephanie’s curiosity grew when she heard the name ‘Lowham,’ but gently shrugged her shoulders, suggesting that it was one of her sons.

“Although,” Dowager Hatt spoke, placing a hand on her chin. “Have you ever worn a dress before, Stephanie?”

A confused expression appeared on her face after Dowager Hatt asked, responding with, “Excuse me?”

“A dress.” Dowager Hatt repeated herself, understanding Stephanie’s confusion. “Have you ever worn a dress before?”

Stephanie paused a little after Dowager Hatt asked, thinking to herself about wearing a dress, answering, “No, ma’am. I have not.”

Dowager Hatt thought to herself after Stephanie answered before stood up to her feet, saying, “Follow me, Stephanie.”

Stephanie paused a little after Dowager Hatt spoke before nodding her head and stood up from the chair, following Dowager Hatt from behind.

She entered a room that Stephanie had not seen before, wondering if this was someone else’s that she had never heard of before.

Dowager Hatt continued rummaging through some belongings as Stephanie sat on the bed, not wanting to peek around at some items around to make her angry.

After a few minutes of rummaging through clothes, Dowager Hatt soon took out what seemed to be an old dark blue jacket, along with a long black skirt, black slippers, and a white button-up shirt.

“Ah,” Dowager Hatt smiled. “Here’s my outfit from sixth grade. I’m not certain if it can fit you, but it still is enough for you to use.”

Stephanie paused a little as she took the clothes, smiling gently to Dowager Hatt.

But from the back of her mind... she seemed a bit worried about the skirt.

Being polite, Dowager Hatt walked out of the room for her to change her clothes, waiting for her to finish.

It lasted for a few minutes or more before Dowager Hatt heard a knock on the other side of the door, knowing that Stephanie had finished.

Dowager Hatt opened the door to see how Stephanie was doing in her old school uniform, seeing that she did pull what girls are supposed to wear... but wearing a pair of black tights underneath her skirt.

Instead of feeling confused about the choice of wearing black tights, Dowager Hatt merely shrugged it off her shoulders, knowing that Stephanie may feel a little cold.

“I like the outfit,” Stephanie shyly blushed. “It fits me too!”

Stephanie twirled around in her uniform to show Dowager Hatt, laughing a little at her new outfit.

“I’m glad that you loved the outfit!” Dowager Hatt smiled. “I’ll make some rearrangements with the outfit and gather supplies for school.”

“Will school start on Monday?” Stephanie politely asked, hopping up and down on her toes.

“Yes.” She nodded, turning her body a little to the side. “That means you get to ride in Thomas’ coaches too!”

As soon as Dowager Hatt turned around, Stephanie’s smile faded a little with worry, as her mind thought, ‘Oh, crap...’

While Dowager Hatt was working on the uniform, Stephanie was sitting on her bed nervously, thinking about riding in Thomas’s coaches to get to school.

She still had PTSD about being on something that moves at a fast pace, considering something had happened in her past that terrified her very much.

As much as she did want to go to school to be educated, she was still terrified of how it would happen during the ride to school.

So, Stephanie decided to go with boarding the coaches and forced herself to get over her PTSD rather than taking the ‘long route.’

Even though she did not want to get on in the first place.

When the day came, Stephanie was anxious, excited, and confused after being awakened by Alice, getting dressed in her uniform.

But the uniform Dowager Hatt gave her was a little different from the one she remembered.

The uniform was dark blue as she remembered, but the stitches that kept it together were replaced with white, and the inside had pockets, too.

The inside of the jacket was in a lighter blue color with black buttons on the front, and each of them looked newer than old and worn out.

The black skirt was at the same length and the type it was before, but the hems were hemmed like the jacket in black and kept the black tights and black slippers.

The white, button-up shirt had pockets on each side of the chest, and the sleeves were mended, too.

Stephanie smiled gently from the redesign Dowager Hatt did before putting the uniform on and going downstairs to have breakfast.

As soon as Stephanie entered the living room, she saw Dowager Hatt and smiled, walking over to her and, for the first time in her history, hugged Dowager Hatt around the waist in gratitude.

This surprised Dowager Hatt when Stephanie hugged her, before smiling softly and returning the hug to her, as Stephanie said, “Thank you!”

After the hug, Stephanie ate her breakfast as Alice placed her lunch inside her backpack Dowager Hatt bought and even new school supplies.

“Oh, Stephanie.” Stephanie stopped before leaving to be dropped off at Knapford to go to school. “Don’t forget to take this with you.”

Reginald handed a bracelet to Stephanie as she had it in her hand, looking confused and marveled at how beautiful it was.

The chain was silver and had five charms, along with four gemstones on it too.

The first charm was an Om charm, as the first gemstone was a red agate, and the next was an Indian elephant, with a green jasper.

The next charm was a Celtic knot, along with a black onyx, and a Nisshu charm with turquoise, and a Mae charm, and finally, a tiger eye gemstone.

“What’s this?” Stephanie politely asked, glancing up at Reginald with a curious expression on her face.

“This is a good luck bracelet.” Reginald smiled. “I think you can have it to have good luck on your side.”

Stephanie smiled after Reginald handed her the bracelet, hugging him around the waist, and beamed, “Thank you!”

Reginald smiled as he hugged her before releasing and letting her go to the car to be dropped off.

Stephanie was still excited and nervous as Dowager Hatt drove her to Knapford, putting the lucky bracelet around her left wrist.

Once they reached Knapford, Stephanie excitedly opened the car door and stepped out before giving Dowager Hatt a quick hug around her neck before running off to wait for Thomas to come.

As Stephanie waited until after Dowager Hatt left, Stephanie noticed the children were heading over to where she was standing, seeing that they were wearing... different uniforms than the one she was wearing.

Did Dowager Hatt accidentally place her in a different program?

“Hey, who are you?” one of the children asked, pointing at her with a single finger.

“Um, my name is Stephanie,” Stephanie shyly blushed, pushing back a strand of hair from her face. “Stephanie Allen.”

“Where are you from?” another child asked.

Stephanie paused a little after she was asked, feeling like she was put in the spotlight by children.

But she knew they were innocent, so she answered, “I am from America.”

The children looked surprised by Stephanie’s answer, as one of them said, “You’re an American?”

Stephanie nodded her head, turning a little to the crowd as they talked.

“What was America like?” one of the kids asked.

“Did you like it there?” another asked, sounding curious like her.

“Was the food there weird?” another curiously asked, cocking his head to the side a little.

“One at a time, please!” Stephanie chuckled, blushing a little as she lifted her hands. “I’m a little new here. But I like America, and it can change the weather.”

“Like magic?” one of the kids curiously asked.

Stephanie paused a little after he asked before responding, “Almost. Sometimes it comes unnaturally or sudden.”

The kids giggled after Stephanie told them about America, feeling shy being around people.

She was even a little shorter than the other kids as she only reaches either to their hips or chest.

It seemed a bit ironic to hear as they mentioned her height to her with questions.

Then hearing a familiar whistle caused the kids to be happier than before.

“Thomas is coming! Thomas is coming!” the kids excitedly exclaimed as Stephanie turned around.

Thomas entered the station with Annie and Clarabel were coupled behind him, and the doors opened as Stephanie entered the carriage with everyone else.

Annie seemed to notice a familiar person that looked like Stephanie, with long brown hair and steel-blue eyes.

“Hmm,” Annie thought to herself after noticing the familiar child. “That child looked like Stephanie.”

Inside, Stephanie felt a little packed since many people were inside the carriage to get to school.

She curled a little to the side to make sure she did not get hurt by the people coming in.

Despite being a little afraid of being in a carriage, Stephanie was still looking forward to going to school, rubbing Reginald’s bracelet for good luck.

As soon as Thomas whistled his whistle after the guard waved his green flag, Thomas began to puff, as Stephanie nervously blushed with worry, gripping her hand tightly as Thomas sped up a little.

The ride was gentle and a little shaky, but Stephanie was amazed at how beautiful the scenery was, forgetting about her PTSD... for the moment.

As soon as they reached the school, Stephanie stepped off with the rest of the kids, lining up to meet their new teachers.

When it was Stephanie’s turn, the caller was a little confused when he noticed her but went down the list of children’s names before coming to her name.

“Ah, your name is Stephanie Allen?” Stephanie nodded her head, feeling excited. “Okay, your teacher is Mrs. Kabel in room A15.”

Stephanie nodded her head and walked down the hallway, heading towards her new teacher’s room to a fresh start in a different school.

When she reached the number room, a pause came from Stephanie before she entered inside, biting the bottom of her lip with worry.

But, gathering her courage, Stephanie opened the door of the classroom, poking her head inside shyly.

The inside of the classroom was filled with children, as some spots do not have many.

Stephanie stepped into the classroom and met the teacher, who had her name written on the board.

“Hello,” she greeted with a smile as she knelt slightly to Stephanie’s height. “What’s your name?”

“Uh, Stephanie.” Stephanie blushed shyly again. “Stephanie Allen.”

The teacher nodded her head after Stephanie answered her question, taking her hand and leading her to the school backpack cabinet.

All the cabinets were full and had many children’s backpacks, mailman bags, and lunchboxes.

“There’s your cabinet!” the teacher smiled, pointing her hand over at the last cabinet in the back.

It looked different from the rest that had her name over the cabinet but looked a little worn out.

Stephanie turned to the teacher and said, “Thank you.” before walking over to her cabinet and placed her items inside, hanging her backpack on the hook.

During that moment, the teacher looked at her body with confusion, seeing that she is indeed a different student than the ones she remembers.

Most of the other students noticed the same thing after she hung her backpack up and walked up to the teacher, as she changed her expression.

The teacher turned to the students, and they went to sit down at their seats, as Stephanie stood in front of the class, blushing a little shyly.

“Everyone,” the teacher spoke, mentioning Stephanie with a hand. “This is our new student from America.”

She knelt a little to Stephanie’s height and said, “Go on, say your name.”

Stephanie blushed more and said, speaking to the class, “My name is Stephanie, Stephanie Allen.”

“Good morning, Stephanie!” Most of the kids greeted her as Stephanie smiled.

She felt a little brave instead of shy around the kids, remembering like last time.

The teacher smiled and mentioned a seat at the far back, with three boys sitting there, wearing different clothes than the others.

“Your seat is over there, Stephanie.” the teacher smiled.

“Thank you.” Stephanie thanked before walking over to her seat.

Just before sitting down, one of the boys sitting behind her giggled a little before pulling the chair back to see if she would fall onto her bottom.

After moving the chair out from underneath her bottom, Stephanie quickly placed her arms on the desk and, using her strength, kept herself balanced without the chair underneath her bottom.

The student behind her looked surprised as she balanced her strength and weight after the chair was yanked before pushing it back underneath her bottom, allowing her to sit correctly.

The boys behind her were around twelve or eleven years old, mostly in the same grade as Stephanie was.

One of them has fair skin, short brown hair, and light green eye color.

He wears a short-sleeved white button-up shirt, with a dark green and white, long-sleeved vest over his body.

The ends of his shirt are tucked into his dark brown pants as it has a belt around his waist to keep them up and a pair of black shoes.

The second boy is a broad boy with a handsome appearance, with short jet black hair, medium blue eyes, and fair skin color.

He wore a short-sleeved black shirt with a darker blue jacket over his shirt, a pair of dark gray pants, and black shoes.

Finally, the last boy has long dark brown hair covering some of his face with fair skin color.

He wore a light black ivy cap on his head, as he also wore a black and white jacket with a long-sleeved white button-up shirt underneath.

Topping things off, he also wore a pair of brown shoes.

“Now, students,” the teacher said, after Stephanie sat down in her chair at her desk. “Today, we are starting with our pledge of allegiance.”

Instinctively, Stephanie stood up with the rest of the children, all except the three boys behind her, doing nothing.

The second was moving his hair around with his fingers to make it smooth as if he was getting ready to have a picture taken.

As Stephanie stood as she recited the pledge, the first boy was scowling at the back of Stephanie.

The third was only ‘watching’ what was happening, not bothering to move his hair from his face to look.

After the kids stood up, they placed a hand on the side of their chest with a flat hand, repeating the words the teacher said as they faced a flag that Stephanie had never seen before.

It was blue but had a white line across it with two orange linings.

Does not match the American, Japanese, nor German flags Stephanie had seen before, confusing her a little.

After the pledge of allegiance, everyone sat back down as Stephanie sat back down.

She was confused that the chair underneath her had not been moved yet.

So, she figured that the legs were not as slippery as before.

“Okay!” the teacher beamed. “Let’s start by making name tags for your desks!”

She walked over to her desk and placed down a single piece of paper on their desks, as she also handed one to Stephanie and the three boys behind her.

Stephanie pushed her glasses into place as she picked up her piece of paper before watching the teacher.

Mrs. Kelly, the teacher, demonstrated how to make their name tags by folding the piece of paper into a tent-like fold, which makes it easier for it to stay up.

Stephanie followed directions, the teacher said, folding her name tag to match the demonstration.

However, the three boys behind her started goofing off rather than doing the project Mrs. Kelly showed.

The boy behind Stephanie took out his pencils and started drawing on the paper rather than folding it, as the second focused on his hair, as the third did nothing.

After drawing something on the paper as the teacher was focused on something else as the kids drew, the kid chucked at the drawing he made before crumpling it in his hands.

He reached around his desk after crumpling a piece of paper given to him and threw it to Stephanie, landing perfectly in front of her.

A confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after noticing the ball of paper in front of her before taking it into her hand.

She paused a little after picking it up from the desk before placing it into her desk’s slot to save for later.

A confused expression appeared on the boy behind her after she placed it away, looking at his friends as they shrugged.

After a few hours had passed, Stephanie finished her name tag and looked proud to make it, seeing how her artwork had been put off.

“Stephanie?” Stephanie jolted when she heard her name spoken, seeing that it was the teacher. “You’re done with your name tag?”

“Yes, I am.” Stephanie nodded her head, blushing again.

Mrs. Kelly paused after Stephanie nodded her head, before asking, “May I see your name tag, perhaps?”

Stephanie nodded her head and handed her name tag to Mrs. Brooks as she looked impressed at how creative it was.

The name was in excellent cursive, and in each letter were different zentangles, each colored in various colors that blend in perfectly.

“This is remarkable!” Mrs. Kelly remarked, causing Stephanie to blush more. “You are very creative!”

The boy behind her scowled in anger after Stephanie was praised a little for her name tag, as Stephanie smiled gently.

“Thank you, Mrs. Kelly.” Stephanie thanked Ms. Kelly, beaming red like a tomato.

Mrs. Kelly placed her name tag back down in front of her before walking off to see other children’s work.

The boy behind her hissed after she left, “Rubbish. No one has ever been that good before.”

Stephanie paused a little after hearing that voice behind her, glancing over her shoulder to see him.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Stephanie apologized, ignoring the compliment he gave to her. “Who are you?”

He indignantly huffed after she asked, before answering, “Manson, Manson Brooks is my name.”

Stephanie smiled after he greeted her and said, “Pleased to meet you, Manson.” before pointing to her name tag, surprising him a little from the design, “As you know from my name tag, my name is Stephanie, Stephanie Allen.”

Manson paused a little after she introduced herself to him before the second boy said, “My name is William Gabbard, and I am the most handsome boy around.”

A confused expression appeared on her face as he puffed like a peacock, as Manson rolled his eyes.

“Oh, and him with the long hair covering his eyes?” Manson spoke, mentioning the third boy as he glanced over. “His name is Jason Demara.”

Jason, the third boy, nodded his head as if to greet her, as Stephanie said, “Your parents have creative ideas for naming you three. It’s beautiful.”

They instantly went silent after she remarked, as a light blush appeared on their faces, glancing away from her.

Stephanie looked confused from the sudden silence but shrugged to herself and went back to what she was doing, re-editing her name tag a little.

Once she had finished, Stephanie placed her name tag down, which now had an American flag on the corner, showing that she is from America.

“You’re from America?” scoffed William when he noticed the American flag. “It’s filthy there!”

Stephanie glanced over at him with a slightly confused expression on her face, asking, “It’s not that filthy there as much as I remembered.”

“Oh, really?” William scoffed again. “Is it because you were raised in a poor family?”

“No,” Stephanie shook her head. “I was raised in a mansion.”

Instantly, both William and Manson’s eyes popped wide like saucers after she responded, as Jacob looked surprised by how his jaw dropped a little.

“A mansion?!” Manson exclaimed softly. “You were rich?!”

Stephanie hesitated after he asked before turning around and facing her back at the boys.

“Hey, answer the question,” Manson prodded as he kicked her chair a little with his foot. “Were you raised in a mansion?”

Stephanie only remained silent after he prodded her, holding her hands together, and used her fingers to gently rub at the bracelet she was wearing.

Once the last student is finished with the name tag, Mrs. Kelly explains the classroom rules, as Stephanie has a piece of notebook paper out and writes the rules on it.

This seemed to confuse Manson as he leaned his body to the side to see what Stephanie was doing, noticing that her handwriting was smooth and in cursive, which seemed a little hard for him to read.

‘When did she learn how to write like that?’ Manson thought to himself as William and Jacob were not listening to the rules.

After the rules, the teacher began handing out textbooks to them to take with them for homework, including for them to pick their binders.

Stephanie was impressed at how many textbooks a student had to carry, counting on how many there were.

But she shrugged it off her shoulders and continued with what she was doing.

Soon, it was lunchtime, and Stephanie took her lunch with her from her backpack.

Then she followed the kids behind them to go sit with someone else to eat her lunch with in the cafeteria.

As soon as Stephanie stepped into the lunchroom with high hopes, she stopped when she saw many children inside, talking to each other and eating their lunches.

This seemed to make Stephanie feel small, nervously clenching the handle of her lunchbox from anxiety before shaking her head and taking a deep breath.

She stepped more into the lunchroom and glanced around for a spot, only seeing that there were no spots left for her.

‘Well,’ Stephanie thought to herself as she sighed. ‘This is going to be hard for me.’

Stephanie pushed her glasses into place with a finger after looking around for a spot before seeing one that was wide open with a random boy.

‘Ah, there’s a spot!’ Stephanie smirked before heading towards the boy.

As Stephanie approached the boy to ask a question, something suddenly bashed into her as she yelped, crashing to the ground with a thump!

“Oops, I’m sorry!” a mocking voice spoke as she winced, sitting up from the ground. “You were just in the way!”

She looked up at who went in and saw that it was a female, who is older than her, with fair skin and dark hazelnut eyes and long dark brown, curly hair, which was up in a red ribbon.

She wore a red jacket instead of a blue one like Stephanie’s, and she also wore a black, long-sleeved, button-up shirt, a long dark red skirt with black tights underneath and gray slippers.

“I’m so sorry.” Stephanie apologized, picking her glasses up from the ground and putting them on her nose. “I was ju-”

“Eww, a nerd!” one of the girls winced with disgust. “I can’t believe there is an American nerd here!”

Stephanie blinked in confusion after the second girl complained, stammering a little as she was about to stand up when someone else came over to her and placed a hand underneath her armpit.

“Shove aff, Jessica!” snapped a male’s voice thick with a Scottish accent. “Ye did thon on purpose!”

Jessica, the young girl, huffed after the young boy snapped at her before turning around with a twirl, kicking Stephanie’s lunchbox to the distance without them noticing.

Stephanie sighed as she was helped up to her feet, using her hands to wipe her skirt off the dirt and dust.

“Sorry aboot Jessica, lassie.” the young boy apologized as Stephanie glanced up at him. “She’s ane o’ the worst bullies i’ this school.”

He has long, shoulder-length, curly red hair that looked like fire with fair skin and green eye color.

The young boy wore a dark blue jacket with a white, long-sleeved, button-up shirt and a dark blue kilt with red plaid reached his ankles and black shoes.

“Wait a moment,” he spoke when he saw her face. “Ye’re the American lassie thon came intae the classroom!”

Stephanie paused a little after he remarked, answering, “Yes, I am.”

He held his hand out to her, saying, “Ma name is Alastair, Alastair Dougal!”

“Pleased to meet you, Alastair,” Stephanie smiled. “My name is Stephanie, Stephanie Allen.”

Alastair smiled after she greeted him before noticing something about Stephanie.

“Och, where’s yer lunchbox?” he remarked, as Stephanie realized and glanced around.

Stephanie and Alastair glanced around for her lunchbox as Stephanie was nervous about how Dowager Hatt would react to her losing her lunch.

She did not want to have Dowager Hatt’s anger towards her for losing her lunch with a lunchbox she bought.

As she passed three familiar boys, Stephanie stopped and walked back to them, seeing that they had her lunchbox.

“Oh,” Stephanie spoke as they glanced over her from their shoulders. “Manson, Jason, William, thank you for finding my lunchbox! May I have it back, please?”

The boys paused as they glanced at each other as Manson said, “If we give back your lunchbox, will you give us your dessert?”

A confused expression appeared on her face after Manson asked, pausing a little before saying, with a shrug of her shoulders, “Sure!”

Stephanie picked her lunchbox up from the table between them and opened it, seeing that some continents of her lunch were smashed, but there were cookies as she predicted.

She took the cookies out from inside and placed the cookies between the boys.

“Here you go,” Stephanie smiled as the boys looked surprised at how calm and polite she was. “Enjoy.”

After giving the boys her cookies, Stephanie walked away from them as they watched her with confusion written on their faces.

Alastair looked surprised after Stephanie had given them her cookies, asking, “Why did ye give thaim yer dessert?”

Stephanie glanced over at him, calmly answering, “They didn’t harm me, did they?”

Alastair opened his mouth to reject what she said to him before closing it at the thought of the morning she had with them.

“Uh, changing the subject a little,” Stephanie spoke as she blushed. Where can I sit?”

Alastair remembered, taking Stephanie’s hand as she looked confused, saying, “Follow me.”

Stephanie followed Alastair as he went down the hallways before entering an empty room that she had never been in before, seeing that there were only four or three kids inside.

“Hi, guys!” Alastair greeted them with a wave of his hand. “A found the American A have been tellin’ ye aboot!”

Stephanie blushed a little from the compliment, feeling like she was in the spotlight for a museum.

Once they reached the table, Stephanie could see more different kids, as most of them were a little younger than her.

The first one was shorter than the group and had short, jet-black hair, with fair blue eye color and fair skin.

He wore a white uniform with a light gray, long-sleeved, button-up shirt underneath, with a pair of medium white pants and black shoes.

When he turned around to see what Alastair was bringing to the group, Stephanie noticed that he was from Japan.

The second has short dark brown hair, fair skin, and sea green eye color.

He wore a deep green uniform with a mint green, long-sleeved, button-up shirt with a pair of dark green pants and black shoes.

And the third was a female with long blond hair braided in a single braid, with fair skin and baby blue eyes.

She wore a dark blue jacket with a white, long-sleeved, button-up shirt with a skirt around her waist with a pair of black tights and black slippers.

Alastair led Stephanie over to the group, as Stephanie blushed shyly from the small crowd of kids.

“Guys, this is her!” Alastair smiled before gently pushing Stephanie towards them. “Gae ahead an’ introduce yourself.”

Stephanie blushed further after Alastair gently pushed her forward before saying, bowing politely to one of the students, “Hello and こんにちは, my name is Stephanie, Stephanie Allen.”

The student wearing the white uniform looked surprised after she introduced herself, asking in Japanese, “あなたは日本語を話しますか?”

This confused the others as Stephanie nodded her head once and responded in his language that he asked, “はい, 日本語がとても上手に話せます.”

An impressed expression appeared on the Japanese student’s face before responding in English, “Well, I am impressed! My name is Shigeru Masahiko.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Masahiko.” Stephanie bowed back as he blushed a little from her kindness.

The next boy chuckled from Masahiko’s blush before responding, with a smile on his face, “My name is Aleric, Aleric Fester!”

“Nice to meet you too, Aleric.” Stephanie nodded, smiling as her shyness died down a little.

“And my name is Davinia Jerusha,” the female girl greeted her. “But, I prefer being called Davi.”

Stephanie nodded her head at the three kids before sitting down on the bench with the others along with Alastair.

“So, you are new here?” Masahiko asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Yes,” Stephanie nodded her head. “I am from America, just as my friend Alastair mentioned.”

Alastair blushed from Stephanie’s mention, as Davi said, nodded her head in agreement, “Yeah, he was excited when he saw your name tag with the American flag on it. He said that he had never seen an American before.”

Stephanie paused a little from eating, asking, “Aren’t there many Americans here?”

“No, not really.” Aleric shook his head. “Most of us are from Scotland, Ireland, the Mainland, Crotoonia, or Bigg Port, but not from any other countries.”

Masahiko cleared his throat after eating some rice from his container, as Aleric blushed and apologized to him.

Stephanie smiled after he explained, before saying, “Well, after arriving here, I’ve been to Bigg Port before, but I haven’t been to Crotoonia or the Mainland.”

All four glanced over at her with a confused expression on their face as Alastair asked, “Whit dae ye mean bi thon?”

Stephanie blushed a little after she explained to the four before answering, “Well, Sir Topham Hatt and his mother, Dowager Hatt, decided to take me into his mansion until my… foster-father comes here to take me back.”

Alastair noticed the pause in Stephanie’s voice before saying ‘foster-father,’ wanting to ask why she hesitated a little from saying the word but shrugged to himself.

“Ah,” Masahiko nodded. “What happened to your biological parents?”

Stephanie instantly went silent after he asked, reaching over to her left arm and gripped, shaking a little after finishing some pretzels.

“I-I rather not explain…” Stephanie stammered, still shaking like a leaf.

This confused them a little after Stephanie stammered before deciding to change the subject a little from family, choosing to ask something else instead.

During the lunch hour, Stephanie continued talking with others about her interests, including crafts she liked to do in her spare time.

She even surprised them with one of the small carved projects she had recently made and showed them after taking it with her.

After they finished their lunch, Alastair, Masahiko, Devi, and Aleric stood up from their benches after cleaning up, saying, “Let’s go outside to play!”

Stephanie paused after Aleric spoke, saying, “Uh, ‘play outside?’”

The same confused expressions appeared on their faces after Stephanie asked, glancing over at her as she stammered, “I-I thought there was something else to do. Shouldn’t we-?”

“Ach, whit are ye saying?” Alastair asked, sounding confused. “After lunch, we go outside to play, which is called recess.”

“Oh,” Stephanie blushed, fidgeting with her hair a little. “I never did that before back at home since I was always homeschooled.”

The kids glanced at each other after Stephanie explained before Alastair smiled reassuringly and took Stephanie’s hand, saying, “Think o’ this as yer first time. This is yer chance tae gae oot an’ play wi’ us!”

Stephanie paused a little after Alastair spoke, thinking to herself about going outside to play, before nodding her head and said, “Sure! I would love to play!”

Alastair took Stephanie outside after she agreed, going outdoors to see many kids playing on the monkey bars, the swings, the grass, and many other places.

Stephanie learned how to play tether ball, hopscotch, and many other games with the other children around her age or older.

She even learned how to avoid encountering Jessica and her group from being harassed or bullied by them, along with the Troublesome Trio, James, William, and Jason.

As she played outside, Stephanie enjoyed playing with the others, mostly greeting the engines as they passed by, including Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel.

Clarabel slowly grew to notice that same child standing in the school’s playground, seeing the same long brown hair and steel-blue eyes.

“I swear,” Clarabel mumbled to herself. “It’s that same child. …She looks familiar to someone…”

After recess, Stephanie went back inside with the rest of the children and went back to her desk, only pausing when she noticed that her slot was filled with more crumpled paper, and her seat was covered in glue.

‘This must be the work of the Troublesome Trio.’ Stephanie thought to herself, pulling out a long, thin strand of dark brown hair from the glue placed on her seat.

Rather than telling the teacher about what had happened to her desk, Stephanie instead cleaned it up as fast as she could, even taking the crumpled piece of paper Mason handed to her in her backpack to look after school.

When the teacher entered the classroom, Stephanie had already finished cleaning her desk, sitting back down on it as she waited for the teacher.

However, when the Troublesome Trio turned around to see how miserable Stephanie was, they were only shocked to see that their work had been  _ cleaned _ !

They sat back down at their desks, a little hesitant at first, thinking she had placed something in their desks while they were getting the glue off their hands.

But as they sat down, Mason noticed a  _ letter _ on his desk that had his name on it in beautiful but oddly familiar cursive.

He instantly knew that it was that ‘American Girl.’

But, before he could shred the letter in his desk slot to not be creeped out by her, he instead left it, not wanting to draw attention to him from the teachers or his friends.

Hours passed, and Manson continued  _ trying _ to terrorize Stephanie, even kicking her chair a few times to make her frustrated at him for disturbing her.

But to his confusion, he recognizes that she does not take notice of him.

‘Is she deaf or something?’ Mason huffed with irritation, feeling like a three-year-old again.

He, William, and Jason soon reached math, which seemed to cause a collection of groans from the children as Mrs. Kelly gave them a little glare.

The teacher went to ask each student to raise their hand for the teacher to call them.

Then, they would walk up to the chalkboard to answer each problem they were tasked with.

They mostly winced a little from the scratching noises against it from some students.

Stephanie did wince a little from the noise but did not pay any attention to it, still sitting there politely like ‘little miss perfect.’

When it came down to the final math solution, Mrs. Kelly decided to pick Stephanie to answer the problem.

“Stephanie?” Mrs. Kelly spoke as everyone’s hands moved down. “Can you write on the chalkboard of what is a hundred and fifty-five minus a hundred and sixty-two?”

The kids glanced at each other after the teacher asked as Stephanie nodded her head and stood up from the desk, stepping over William’s foot from being tripped.

Stephanie walked up to the chalkboard and picked up a light blue chalk instead of a white, yellow, or light green one, and started working on the problem.

She first counted with her fingers a little, before starting counting  _ backwards _ to the teacher’s confusion before adding a negative at the end.

After finishing the hard problem, Stephanie turned her attention to the teacher, who looked impressed and innocently asked, “Is this right?”

The teacher paused a little after she asked before looking into her book and using a calculated to double-check, stammering, “Uh, y-yes, that is right!”

“Nerd!” Mason called her from the back of the classroom, as Mrs. Kelly instantly stood up to her feet.

Stephanie huffed and responded, “I’m not a nerd to let you know, Mason. I’m just smarter than you.”

A chorus of ‘Ohhh!s’ went through the air after Stephanie made a comeback, as Mrs. Kelly chuckled a little as Stephanie sat back down in her chair.

‘This means war…’ Mason hissed angrily, glaring daggers at her back as he hid his face underneath his jacket in shame.

After school ended, Stephanie stood up from her desk but took the ball of paper from her desk slot, tucking it into her pocket.

She walked over to the cabinet to gather her backpack to take with her to head to Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion, excited to tell them what she had experienced.

Just as she took the backpack off the hook of her cabinet, she stumbled a little when she noticed that it oddly had gained... weight?

Stephanie peered inside after lifting the open flap to see that it was filled with  _ rocks! _

Confusion appeared on her face when she noticed the rocks inside her backpack, placing it down on the ground, and picked one of them out.

It was the size of her hand and was a light gray color.

‘They look like they came from the Blue Mountain Quarry.’ Stephanie thought to herself with curiosity. ‘And the work of the Troublesome Trio.’

She shrugged to herself after discovering rocks in her backpack that was filled by the Troublesome Trio.

Stephanie placed the stone back in her pack and started  _ adding _ the books into her backpack given to her by her teacher.

Even ones that were from the library during a break time from studying.

Little does she know, the Troublesome Trio was hiding behind the window to see if they could finally break Stephanie, only to be more confused when they saw that she only placed the rock inside her backpack and added the books inside.

“What is she doing?” William asked in confusion. “Is she adding more weight?”

Mason snorted after William asked, saying, “I don’t think she can carry all  _ that _ on her back!”

Just as he snorted, Stephanie grunted and  _ lifted _ the possibly thirty or forty-pound rock and book-filled backpack on her back and started walking away, gawking Manson, William, and Jason.

“You said that you both filled it with rocks, right?” William asked as they both nodded. “I don’t she is human.”

Outside, Stephanie walked with her backpack on her back, feeling half sad that she had to leave the school.

But she had high hopes that she is going to return to school the next day.

As she walked, Stephanie was mentally relieved that her backpack had not been ripped from all the books, including the unusual collection of rocks.

Even with her school supplies and now empty lunchbox, everything inside seemed like rocks too.

But she did not mind it and continued walking to the stop where the coaches come to pick them up.

As she walked outside, Stephanie glanced around for anyone thinking Sir Topham Hatt or Dowager Hatt had come over to pick her up.

But she saw Alastair, Aleric, Davi, and Masahiko standing on the train station platform with some kids.

“Oh, hi-!” Before she could finish her sentence, something roughly went into her backpack, before crying out in pain after the impact.

Instinctively, Stephanie whipped around to see what had happened, seeing Jessica on the ground with a scratched arm.

“WHAT IS IN YOUR BAG?!” she shrieked in anger, pointing at her.

“Uh, a collection of rocks that was given to me?” Stephanie innocently answered, pointing at her backpack.

Jessica looked more confused and angry as she stood up to her feet, as her ‘helpers’ looked worried and scared of her, trying to calm her down.

“Listen, freak!” she shrieked at her as Stephanie winced a little from the tone of her voice. “You think you would fill your backpack with rocks to make sure I wouldn’t bump into you, would get you out of this?!”

“What, no!” Stephanie innocently exclaimed. “I was speaking the truth! Someone  _ did _ fill my backpack with rocks and-”

Before she could finish her sentence, a bucket of water suddenly poured from over them and landed on the group of girls, including Stephanie, causing them to screech from the dirty water.

“Oh, crap!” one of them cursed as they were drenched in mud-filled water. “My hair!”

Stephanie took this chance and escaped from the angry group, running towards her new friends, despite the heavy backpack on her back.

Once she had reached them, Stephanie glanced back over at the group, sighing as she noticed they were crying and screaming at each other, blaming them for losing her.

“Ye are sae lucky!” Alastair pointed. “But, arenae ye mad thon ye are coverit i’ mud?”

“No, not really.” Stephanie chuckled, shaking her head as she wiped some mud off her cheek. “I used to get muddy a lot in my childhood.”

Some disgusted expressions appeared on the other children’s faces after Stephanie explained, as Alastair and the others looked surprised.

Stephanie wiped more mud off her into her hands from her face, not flicking it towards the kids but towards the ground.

Soon, James came into the station with a screech of his wheels, causing some children to wince from the noises, as he exclaimed, “Herrreee’s James!”

After he stopped, James yelped in surprise when he noticed that  _ one _ of the children was covered head to toe in mud.

“Bust my buffers, what on Earth happened to you?!” he exclaimed, looking surprised. “Your poor outfit!”

“Och, it’s fine, James!” Alastair assured him. “Stephanie is okay with this!”

“‘Stephanie?’” James asked, repeating the name in confusion. “Wait. Stephanie Allen?”

Stephanie wiped more of the mud away from her face, nodding her head with a soft smile on her face, saying, “Yes, it’s me!”

James looked surprised after Stephanie nodded her head, asking, “What are you doing here, young lady? I thought you were with Sir Topham Hatt or staying in his mansion? You worried us!”

“Oh,” Stephanie blushed underneath the mud as her friends looked confused. “I’m sorry. Dowager Hatt decided to send me to school to learn since I have been homeschooled. Didn’t Sir Topham Hatt explain?”

“No, he didn’t,” James answered, shaking his body side to side a little. “But… um… Stephanie?”

“Hmm?” Stephanie responded.

“I, um,” James paused a little, trying to come up with more kind words than having to bluntly speak to Stephanie, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

“James doesn’t want the coaches’ cushions to be dirtied.” his driver spoke, answering to Stephanie before him, causing James to huff and sprayed some steam into his face.

Luckily he stopped, only making his driver’s face a little red from the steam blown into his face.

“Oh!” Stephanie blushed more. “I think the pipe that was collecting drain water must’ve burst when I was in a problem with Jessica.”

“That brat Jessica?” James snapped, confusing Stephanie. “I’m glad that the pipe burst in time. Climb into my cab and… try not to touch anything.”

Stephanie nodded her head and gingerly climbed into James’ cab as her friends got into the coaches.

The signalman whistled his whistle, and James puffed off, heading to Knapford to drop the kids off to meet with their mother.

With Stephanie, Stephanie was on the farthest side of James’ cabin, making herself small for his fireman and driver to work, not touching anything as he had said to her.

“When you get to Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion,” James spoke. “Make sure that you will get a very deserving bath!”

Stephanie felt confused after James spoke, thinking to herself a little as she looked down at her muddy hands.

Something in her mind seemed to be a little haunting for her, but she shook it out of her mind.

Once they had reached Knapford, Sir Topham Hatt came out of his office in time to see James.

“Hello, sir!” James greeted with a whistle of his whistle.

“Ah, James!” Sir Topham Hatt nodded. “What seemed to be the problem?”

“Uh, a  _ messy _ problem.” James chuckled nervously.

Sir Topham Hatt looked a little confused after James corrected a little, as his driver moved out of the side a little, showing a  _ mud-covered and shy _ Stephanie.

“What on earth happened to her?!” Sir Topham Hatt asked, reaching up to her and picking her out of James’ cab, only to struggle a little.

He almost collapsed on the ground after picking her up, as Stephanie yelped out of startlement.

Sir Topham Hatt wobbled as he held Stephanie close to his body.

His helpers ran over to Sir Topham Hatt before he collapsed to the ground and grabbed him from underneath his arms.

“Are you alright, sir?” James asked worriedly.

“Y-Yes, I’m fine.” Sir Topham Hatt nodded. “But, Stephanie? How are you covered in mud, and… what’s in your backpack to make you  _ that _ heavy?”

Stephanie nervously chuckled as she took her backpack off, seeing that it oddly looked a little… bigger than what he remembered seeing from outside his office.

After placing her backpack down, Stephanie opened it, showing the books inside, including the  _ rocks. _

“Rocks!” Stephanie showed, surprising the two helpers of Sir Topham Hatt, including himself.

* * *

“‘Rocks?!’” The Steam Team exclaimed after hearing what James had said to them after a day of work.

“Yes!” James nodded. “I know that she didn’t fill it with rocks herself!”

“Unless she could be like Marion,” Toby suggested. “There are sometimes rocks at the back of the playground.”

“Rubbish, Toby.” Gordon huffed. “I don’t think a girl like her can have such a collection of rocks like that!”

“But… where could Stephanie get the rocks from?” Percy asked. “There are bare rocks in the playground at the far back.”

“Maybe it came from a bucket?” Henry suggested. “The school usually needs buckets like those to keep the shades from blowing away.”

A long pause came from the Steam Team until Nia suggested, “It could be an act of a bully.”

“‘A bully?!’” Gordon fumed angrily, surprising the team. “Bullying Stephanie?! The nerve of them!”

“Calm down, Gordon!” a voice spoke, causing him to stop. “It  _ is _ a work of more than one bully, unfortunately.”

It was from Dowager Hatt as she walked towards the locomotives.

“Dowager Hatt?” Thomas asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I came here to talk about Stephanie’s bully problem.” Dowager Hatt explained. “As you know, she is being bullied but not one, but four.”

“‘Four?’” Percy asked. “What are their names?”

“Well,” Dowager Hatt thought to herself. “Stephanie is being bullied by the Troublesome Trio and Jessica.”

Instantly, Gordon, Henry, and Edward frowned a little after hearing the names of the bullies, confusing some newer members.

“Who are the ‘Troublesome Trio’ and ‘Jessica?’” Percy asked.

“The ‘Troublesome Trio’ is a group of boys who enjoyed pulling jokes,” Edward explained. “They liked even making some trains late with confusion.”

“And Jessica?” Thomas asked.

“A straight-up brat.” James snitched.

“Shush, James!” Dowager Hatt shushed, causing him to instantly go quiet. “I’m even more surprised that Stephanie has not collapsed from all the weight added to her back from all the rocks.”

Everyone nodded in agreement after Dowager Hatt explained before an idea flew into Thomas’s pistons.

“What if we give the Troublesome Trio a little dose of their own medicine?” Thomas suggested.

“Making them carry rocks in their backpacks like Stephanie?” Percy asked.

“No,” Thomas chuckled cheekily. “Cover them in the mud like how Stephanie was during her argument with Jessica.”

Everyone understood what Thomas said before Dowager Hatt said, “But when are we going to do our little idea? There is barely any mud around.”

“Unless one of us leads us to one of the water towers,” Percy added. “There is one here that is always clogged with mud inside.”

Dowager Hatt paused a little after they explained before smiling a little and nodded her head.

“I like the idea!” she smiled. “But we have to be careful. Don’t hurt them a little  _ too _ much.”

* * *

The next day, Gordon pretended to fall asleep near the water tower after pulling his coaches.

A locomotive was waiting on the other side behind some trucks filled with crates inside.

The locomotive is a half crane with an arm and is based on Dübs Crane Engine No. 4101, and is painted maroon with yellow and red lining and brown, square, wooden buffers.

His name ‘Harvey’ is painted on his sides in yellow.

Even had the number twenty-seven painted on the sides of his crane arm.

As Gordon ‘slept,’ three familiar heads appeared from behind a truck, seeing an enormous blue locomotive sleeping near a water tower.

Mason mentioned over to Gordon with a finger, nodding his head as the others nodded in agreement.

They snuck up close to Gordon as he slept, and just as they were underneath the water tower, Gordon popped his eyes open and whistled the signal, startling the boys as they exclaimed out of startlement.

The half-crane and half-locomotive instantly went into action after hearing the signal, banging hard against the water tower as hard as he could.

Just after hitting it, a spew of disgusting and muddy water came out of it at the funnel where it was poured into the tanks, causing the boys to shriek from how cold it was and how dirty it was.

Instantly, they went off running onto the platform, as everyone came out of hiding.

“That’s what you get for messing with Stephanie!” Philip called them, laughing as they whistled and honked.

Meanwhile, Mason hissed in anger as he turned around to them, glaring as he shook his hands to get the mud off, determined to ‘get his revenge.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	14. Meeting The Duke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie got distracted again, but this time, meeting someone elderly...

On Saturday, Stephanie was sitting in her room, wearing a long-sleeved, light blue shirt, with a pair of black tights and white socks.

She was staring at the crumpled piece of paper in her hands, which had a drawing of a child, showing him making fun of a picture of her, crying.

Stephanie was half confused about this strange drawing given to her by Mason from school, but shrugged to herself and placed the picture back into the drawer of her table stand.

After placing the drawing back into her drawer, Stephanie continued thinking to herself as she sat on her bed, tapping her legs with her fingers.

Her back was still sore from carrying all the rocks in her backpack filled from Mason and his ‘friends.’

But she was lucky to escape the wrath of Jessica and her cronies after getting into ‘trouble’ with them.

Stephanie smiled a little at the kindness Reginald had, grateful for him handing her a bracelet for good luck.

Pushing her glasses into place, Stephanie was about to stand from her bed to carve something to get her boredom away when a knock came from her door.

“Who’s there?” Stephanie called the figure from behind the door.

“It’s Sir Topham Hatt.” Sir Topham Hatt responded. “Would you like to come with me to visit Mr. Percival?”

Stephanie’s curiosity perked after Sir Topham Hatt asked, before answering, “Sure! Let me put my shoes on first!”

Stephanie collected her shoes and blue jeans pants after Sir Topham Hatt called her before opening the door once they were on her feet and her pants replacing her black tights, excited to see more railways.

Once they were in Sir Topham Hatt’s car, Stephanie glanced around a few times to see where they were going, slowly calculating which area of the map and the railways.

Since she was taught how to make maps, Stephanie could tell that this railway was near a mountainside, which seemed to be an extraordinary place to be at.

After reaching one of the stations, Stephanie, Sir Topham Hatt, and his helpers stepped out as a familiar person stepped out of the station.

To Stephanie’s surprise,  _ he looked almost identical to Sir Topham Hatt! _

But this conductor looked a little different from Sir Topham Hatt himself.

He has short jet-black hair, fair skin, and light brown eye color.

He is dressed in a black suit jacket with gray trousers, a yellow waistcoat, a white shirt, a black tie, and a black bowler hat instead of a top hat like Sir Topham Hatt.

When he noticed Stephanie standing next to Sir Topham Hatt, blushing a little shyly, he pushed his brown, half-moon glasses into place.

“Erm, Topham?” he politely asked, mentioning her as Stephanie looked confused. “Is she your daughter?”

Sir Topham Hatt sighed as he pinched his nose bridge as his helpers chuckled as Stephanie giggled, covering her mouth with a hand.

“No, she is just staying in my mansion until her foster-father comes here to pick her up, Percival.” Sir Topham Hatt explained.

Stephanie blushed again after Sir Topham Hatt explained, feeling a little sheepish about being the center of attention with everyone else.

“Ah, I see.” Mr. Percival nodded. “Let’s go inside and talk about the conversation we had earlier.”

Stephanie was about to follow them into the station with curiosity about what the conversation was until she heard an unusual snore that caught her attention.

She turned her head to where it came from, looking confused as Sir Topham Hatt’s helpers did not notice that she stopped following her and entered inside the station.

So, without stopping to think, Stephanie instead decided to follow where the snoring was coming from.

Stephanie continued venturing away from the station in curiosity, looking for where the snoring was coming from.

Soon, she reached a shed and stopped when she discovered an elderly engine sleeping at the entrance.

His base was based on  _ Prince _ , a George England tank-tender engine and painted in an orange-brown with a yellow lining and has two red plaques on either side of his saddle tank with his name ‘Duke’ written in gold.

Stephanie looked surprised when she noticed the small, sleeping locomotive, giggling softly to herself at how elderly and cute he is.

When she giggled, it seemed to wake him up, snorting gently from the sudden titter, seeing Stephanie standing in front of him.

“Excuse me,” he huffed gently, before pausing a little as he yawned. “What are you doing out here, young lady?”

Stephanie shyly blushed after he asked after yawning, answering, “I’m sorry, sir. I heard you snoring a while back at the station and came over here to see where it was coming from. I’m sorry for disturbing you, sir.”

Rather than being angry at her for waking him up from his nap after hearing his snores, a soft and kind smile appeared on his face as he said, “Oh, no. It’s fine. I’m used to being woken up by Peter Sam and Sir Handel.”

Stephanie chuckled as she stepped closer to the elderly engine, saying, “You remind me a little of O.J, though.”

“‘O.J?’” he asked, cocking his body to the side a little. “Oh, him?”

He chuckled a little after Stephanie mentioned his appearance as she stood in front of him, her hands behind her back.

“The other engines  _ do _ sometimes tell me that,” he chuckled gently. “But, I am not like my old friend O.J. My name is Duke.”

Stephanie smiled a little after he introduced himself to Stephanie, as she politely curtsied to him, saying, “Pleased to meet you, Duke. My name is Stephanie, Stephanie Allen from America.”

“An American?” Duke softly mumbled. “It has been a  _ very _ long time since the last two I have met in my past.”

Stephanie felt curious after he mentioned, asking, “Who were the two American engines?”

Duke paused a little after she asked before sitting down on a crate next to him, having a gut feeling that there was a story coming.

“Actually,” Duke smiled as he moved a little forward, seeing that she was curious. “ _ One _ of them is American, and the second was built here in England.”

“Oh!” Stephanie blushed in embarrassment after Duke corrected her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mix cultures up!”

“No need to apologize, young one.” Duke softly smiled. “You were a little confused about where they were made. Now, where were we?”

“Uh, about the two engines back in your time?” Stephanie asked, cocking her head a little to the side.

“Ah, yes!” Duke nodded. “Thank you, Stephanie.”

Stephanie patiently sat as she listened to the story of Duke’s encounter with an American in the old times, long before Stephanie was born.

* * *

_ It was a long time ago when the rails were young, and engines were being built for work. _

_ It was called the ‘Mid Sodor Railway,’ where it was still operational, and Peter Sam and Sir Handel were named ‘Falcon’ and ‘Stuart.’ _

_ “Oh, I remember those nicknames! I’ve met them before!” _

_ You have? _

_ “Yes, it happened a long time ago when I accidentally fell into one of the Quarry trucks at Knapford. They were very nice!” _

_ You have been very adventurous, haven’t you? _

_ “It happens when you have curiosity.” _

_ Yes, that is true, Stephanie.  _

_ Now, I was the first one to be at the railway, but other engines were coming into the railway than me. _

_ “Who were they?” _

_ Their names were Albert, Jim, Tim, Jerry, Alfred, Atlas, and Bertram. _

_ There were not only engines, but some friendly trucks and carriages, Cora the guard’s tool shed, and Gertrude and Millicent. _

_ “Oh, that is a lot of locomotives, and carriages there, Duke!” _

_ Yes, but I worked as hard as I could with everyone else, and as you know, ‘every engine has its own purpose.’ _

_ “I agree, Duke!” _

_ Yes, and as the years went by, two young engines came from different countries, but mostly from the Mainland. _

_ One of them is named ‘Stanley’ and was from the United States when World War One started, then was brought over here. _

_ “He sounds tough.” _

_ And he was. _

_ The other was named ‘Smudger’ and is numbered as number two on our line when I was number one. _

_ Stanley was accidentally painted as a number two, too, but the manager did not mind it. _

_ “Who’s ‘Smudger,’ Duke?” _

_ Smudger was a show-off engine who liked showing off his pride and often derailed, always spilling the contents out and to the ground. _

_ “That’s horrible!” _

_ Yes, and every time I caught him in one of his accidents, I would always say to him, ‘That never suits his grace!’ _

_ But all he said was, ‘Listen, Dukey. Who worries about a few spills?’ _

_ ‘We do here!’ I told him, but he just laughed. _

_ “…He was very arrogant?” _

_ Oh, yes, very. _

_ Stanley, too, was like him, not caring about spilling the goods from the trucks and always acting so… reckless. _

_ But one day, the manager said he will make him useful at last, and Smudger stopped laughing then. _

_ “What on earth happened to him, Duke?” _

_ He turned him into a generator to pump the water out of the mines they worked in, never being able to move, still stuck behind our shed. _

* * *

Stephanie looked surprised after Duke finished his story, asking, “What about the other? Did the same thing happened to him?”

“Oh, yes, it did.” Duke nodded. “Before Smudger, Stanley had the same thing happen to him too but was put behind Peter Sam’s shed a long time ago. I couldn’t remember where he is now since our railway shut down.”

“What about the other engines?” Stephanie asked, moving her hands up and gently rubbing them to calm her worries down.

Duke’s face softened a little when he saw how worried Stephanie was about them, saying, “They are in good hands, Stephanie. They are in different stations and are still working, just like those two rascals.”

Stephanie chuckled after Duke finished his story, pausing a little in her thoughts, and asked, “Do… you think Smudger is still alive, wanting to work like he used to do?”

This seemed to make Duke think to himself from Stephanie’s question, glancing down at his buffers before back up at Stephanie.

“I do not know, Stephanie.” Duke slowly answered. “But if we found him… I don’t know about accepting him again since he was reckless in his past.”

Stephanie paused a little after Duke slowly answered Stephanie’s question, glancing away from Duke to think to herself about Smudger.

“Stephanie?” Stephanie perked after hearing her name called, standing up from the crate she was sitting next to. “Where are you?”

“Over here!” Stephanie called, waving her hand as Sir Topham Hatt came into view.

“What are you doing over there?” Sir Topham Hatt asked.

“Uh...” Stephanie blushed as Duke slowly puffed out of his shed, calling, “She came over here after hearing my snoring, sir!”

Sir Topham Hatt sighed and placed a hand on his temple, saying with a soft exclamation, “She is just as curious as a kitten!”

Stephanie was nervous after coming back over to Sir Topham Hatt, confusing Duke as he followed her to make sure nothing happened to her.

“Don’t scare us like that, Stephanie!” Mr. Percival exclaimed. “We were looking all over the office for you!”

“Sorry,” Stephanie blushed sheepishly. “It seemed like I  _ was _ a little too curious.”

Duke cleared his throat after Stephanie apologized, moving forward, and said, “If I may, sir? She did not mean to wander off. She merely heard my snoring and came over to me.”

Stephanie’s blush deepened after Duke explained to them, as Sir Topham Hatt and Mr. Percival glanced at each other.

“I should’ve told you, sir.” Stephanie sighed, ducking her head a little lower as her long hair covered some of her face.

“It is quite alright, Stephanie.” Sir Topham Hatt assured her. “Next time, be wary of your surroundings with others than yourself.”

Stephanie nodded her head after Sir Topham Hatt assured her before following him to his car with his helpers.

“Oh,” Stephanie turned around and waved to Duke. “Thank you for telling me the story!”

Duke smiled after Stephanie waved at him and whistled in return as Stephanie followed Sir Topham Hatt to the mansion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	15. The Search In The Mountains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie decided to see if the railway was there, but... did not suspect seeing more to it.

Stephanie was sitting near her desk, thinking to herself while holding one of Sodor’s maps in her hand.

Maps trailed all around her desk, most of them having pins on them and others with scribbles of handwriting on it.

Stephanie stopped as she pushed her glasses into place, picking up one of the maps, and looked closely at the stations.

‘There has to be a station where Duke was at.’ Stephanie thought to herself. ‘He said that he used to work at the… Oh! The Mid Sodor Railway!’

Stephanie scrambled through the maps again after remembering the story Duke told her.

She picked up one and looked at it to see if there was the old station’s name on it.

‘Nope, not this one.’ Stephanie thought to herself, huffing a little after reading it and folding it back into a neat fold, placing it down on the desk.

She researched through the maps to look for where she had overlooked one of the charts, folding each one she recently read, before coming to the last one, seeing the name on it.

‘Bingo!’ Stephanie placed the map down on her desk and pushed back a strand of hair over her ear.

Stephanie went to follow one of the tracks down the line to where the station is, seeing Duke’s name on it with the mines, just as he told her.

‘If there are mines all around there,’ Stephanie thought to herself. ‘Then Smudger is stuck inside a mine somewhere around here where Duke’s shed was.’

She remembered asking Sir Topham Hatt a question about where Duke was found, as Sir Topham Hatt answered that he had been found in his shed where he had been placed before, sleeping for many years, and was buried underneath the dirt and greenery.

So, if Smudger was still inside a shed as Duke was, he might be around where Peter Sam and Sir Handel used to stay.

Stephanie wrote the directions to where the place used to be on a piece of paper she took out from her notebook before folding it into the pocket of her blue jeans.

After writing the directions down on the piece of paper, Stephanie picked a flashlight from her desk drawers.

Luckily, it was pocket-sized for it to be hidden from Dowager Hatt or Sir Topham Hatt and in case she enters a mine.

Once she gathered some items to take with her to go on an adventure, Stephanie paused before exiting out of her room and rethinking the idea of  _ lying _ to Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt about what she was doing.

One of the rules she had to learn from her ‘foster-father’ was ‘to never lie to anyone else.’

A shudder went down her spine at the thought of being punished for lying to them and scaring them half to death.

But she shook her mind and opened the door.

Stephanie walked downstairs a little shakily, still worried about sneaking out of the house and lying to Dowager Hatt.

“Excuse me?” Stephanie jolted when she heard Dowager Hatt’s voice, turning around to see her standing behind her, looking confused. “What are you doing outside your room?”

The line went down Stephanie’s spine like a cold finger as the hair on her arms stuck up.

“Uh, I, er,” Stephanie stammered, blushing a little as she looked nervous and… terrified?

Dowager Hatt paused a little after Stephanie stammered, walked up to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder, noticing that she  _ was _ shaking.

Instead of inquiring about her unusual nervousness, Dowager Hatt released her shoulder and asked, “Were you going to go outside?”

Stephanie shamefully ducked her head low after Dowager Hatt asked, saying, “Yes, but not from the backyard. I-I’m sorry for thinking of adventuring, I just-”

She stopped when Dowager Hatt lifted her hand, interrupting her from finishing her sentence, and said, “It is fine, Stephanie. Topham and Lowham used to do this when they were around your age. But remember to come back home at dinnertime.”

“That’s six o’clock, right?” Stephanie politely asked.

Dowager Hatt nodded her head after Stephanie asked before turning her around.

“And, don’t get into more trouble with the other engines working on their branch lines!” Dowager Hatt warned again.

Stephanie blushed when she remembered the chaos she had done with some of their jobs.

But shook the thought out of her mind and exited the mansion.

She sighed in relief as she walked down the pathway, pausing a little in her walk and reached into her pocket, taking out the directions she had written on it.

Mumbling to herself, Stephanie pointed northeast for a moment, before southwest, glancing up for a moment to see where she was going.

Scratching the back of her head a little, Stephanie went walking as she traveled down the side of the road, near the grass and the trees, so she would not get accidentally hit by a passing car.

After a few hours of walking down the road, Stephanie paused a little as she scratched the back of her head with a hand again, glancing up from her written piece of paper, seeing that she was in a forest.

‘Oh great, where am I now?’ Stephanie huffed, glancing around a little.

Suddenly, something yellow passed by her at a fast pace, causing her to yelp out of startlement and hop backwards, luckily not dropping the note in her hand.

After the object passed her, it screeched to a halt and went backwards, seeing to be Ace!

“Oh, hello, Ace.” Stephanie shyly blushed.

“Wat ahah ya doin’ out in the open agayyn?” Ace asked as his driver came out of his driver’s side. “Did Thomas awr the others fawrgot about ya agayyn?”

“No,” Stephanie shook her head as his driver knelt a little to her height. “I, uh, j-just adventuring around a little.”

He took the written note from Stephanie’s hand when he noticed the scribbles on it, seeing that it had directions to a closed railway.

To Stephanie’s surprise, the driver took his helmet off from his head once he had stepped out of Ace.

He has short blond hair and deep green eye color, with the appearance of a mid-twenty-year-old.

“What are you doin’ headin’ towards the Mid Sodor Railway?” he asked, speaking in clear English.

“Wat’s the ‘Mid Sodawr Railway?’” Ace asked in confusion.

“It’s a railway that was closed down back in the nineteenth century, Ace!” Stephanie beamed a little. “I, um, am searching for something there.”

His driver paused a little after Stephanie paused a little before saying, “Keep this as a little secret between us, ‘kay?”

Stephanie nodded her head after he winked, before handing the directions back to her and said, “Hop on in. We know the way to that closed railway.”

She paused a little after he spoke to her but obliged, hopping into the backseat of Ace, before closing the door quickly and buckled, still afraid of being tossed around like a rag doll.

Once she had buckled in, Ace’s driver placed his racing helmet back onto his head and started Ace up, zooming down the line as fast as he could.

Stephanie gripped the door’s handle in fear as the other gripped the seat in fear as they went down the road.

Since her last time on Ace was a little terrifying, it was not as bad as she thought, but it was still scary for her to be in at the moment.

Ace turned tight corners, zoomed past other cars, and went through thick shrubs of forests, heading towards the abandoned railway that Stephanie had been trying to walk to, but instead got a little lost.

They passed by Bertie, who honked at them for being a little too fast, but Ace ignored and continued with what he was doing, heading towards the old railway.

Once he had reached it, Ace went to a stop in time, as Stephanie in the back was a little shaken up from all the jostling she had been through.

“Alright, kiddo!” Ace smiled. “We’ah here!”

“O-Oh, good!” Stephanie stammered, shakily stepping out of Ace before releasing the handle, and luckily it did not bend from her grip. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Ace’s driver winked at her. “Besides, call us if you want to go anywhere else instead of having to walk around on your feet.”

Stephanie blushed sheepishly as Ace’s driver noticed, asking, “You  _ don’t _ have a phone, right?”

“Yes…” Stephanie nodded, blushing more with sheepishness.

Ace’s driver paused a little after she nodded before smiling and reaching over to her head, gently patting it and mostly ruffling her hair.

“It’s okay, kiddo!” Ace’s driver smiled. “Maybe ask Sir Topham Hatt to get you one after headin’ back home, ‘kay?”

Stephanie nodded her head after Ace’s driver spoke as he stood back up and walked over to Ace.

“There’s a mini railway that is almost close to here, just a mile away from here if you wanted to get help,” Ace’s driver described. “And let us know if there are any more problems.”

Stephanie nodded her head again after Ace’s driver explained, before going into Ace and driving off, kicking up some dust, which luckily did not hit her.

She waved goodbye to Ace and his driver as they left before turning around on the abandoned railway.

Everything was covered in grass, bushes, and many more greenery that has taken over its place again after having to be unearthed.

Stephanie reached into her pocket and took out a rubber band before putting her long brown hair up into a low ponytail.

After putting her hair up, Stephanie went on an adventure through the abandoned railway, climbing over half-crumbled walls, rusted and bent rails, even noticing the shed that Duke used to be inside was open, and the roof had been caved in.

‘Well, that’s one way of waking someone up from their long slumber.’ Stephanie joked to herself.

She noticed the shed that used to be standing there before continuing with her adventure.

Just before calling the search off after climbing into the side of the mountain, Stephanie was about to head back to the mini railway to call Ace’s driver, luckily having his number written on the back of the directions she had.

As she took a step forward to climb down the side of a mountain, something creaked underneath her foot, causing her to stop moving, wondering what could have made that noise.

After pausing for a minute, Stephanie shrugged to herself when the noise did not happen again.

She moved again to get to the mini railway when a loud  _ CRACK _ came from underneath her.

After that, she went through the hole underneath her that made a cracking noise.

She shrieked in fear as she tumbled into the darkness before colliding into the hard and gravely ground before being knocked out after the impact.

* * *

Stephanie groaned softly to herself as she pushed herself up from the ground to her knees, feeling sore all over her body.

But she was used to the pain ever since she was a young girl.

Everything around her was semi-dark, but the only thing that was giving light out was the hole through the ceiling of the cave.

Luckily, none of her bones broke from the impact, nor any parts of her body scratched from the gravel.

To her confusion, she had also survived landing across the rusted rails that were not bent.

Is she in a mine she was searching for?

Slowly, Stephanie gingerly got up from the ground after falling through the hole, before reaching over to her glasses and picked them up, which were luckily not shattered.

Once she had gotten up from the ground, feeling soft pops coming from her body with some bruises here and there, Stephanie noticed that there were three worn-out, white tarps.

Each of them has a familiar locomotive shape underneath them after noticing the tarps, feeling an excited jolt in her heart.

Then Stephanie felt unsure of peeking underneath the tarps, thinking that there would be something horrible underneath it.

But her curiosity got the best of her.

So she decided to look at what was underneath the tarp on the left-hand side of where she was but doing it slowly.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the flashlight she had taken with her and clicked the light on

The inside of the cave was enormous, large enough for a bigger engine to be inside, and has signs of miners that have worked in the cave a long time ago.

Once she had the flashlight on, Stephanie walked over to the first steam train there and took the corner of the tarp.

She hesitated for a moment to rethink her thoughts of what could be underneath.

But Stephanie quietly took a deep breath to calm her nerves down and grabbed a corner of it.

Slowly, Stephanie took the tarp off as quietly as she could to not be attacked by something or someone underneath it.

To her surprise, it was a steam train like how she guessed from the appearance after uncovering the area around the face.

The basis of the steam engine was almost like Rheneas, which was a Fletcher Jennings Class Bb.

They painted him dark green with black lining underneath the dirt and dust, but his paint faded from old age and chipped.

He has brass nameplates on each side of his boiler, with the name “Smudger,” including his coal bunkers.

His number plates were once on him and were screwed off by the workers who had to place him inside this cave.

Slowly, Stephanie noticed that the wheels underneath him were missing, too.

‘Is this… Smudger?’ Stephanie thought to herself, fully taking the tarp off of his body in awe that the locomotive she had been looking for looked almost like one of the Skarloey engines.

As the tarp yanked off of him, he slowly started to wake up, making Stephanie stiffen where she was standing.

Even though he does not have his wheels, Stephanie was still scared of him if he decided to scream and make the cave collapse on them.

Once he was fully awake after Stephanie had the tarp off him, he noticed Stephanie in front of him, with the worn-out tarp in her hand.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, with a slight growl at the end of his sentence.

Stephanie’s hair from the back of her neck stood up from the growl, feeling scared about him.

But she took another assuring deep breath that he could not move because of his removed wheels or with steam or coal, since he had no driver or fireman with him.

“I fell through the roof of the mine,” Stephanie answered as she pointed to the roof with a shaky finger.

There was some fear in her voice as she spoke, shaking as he glanced up at the hole too.

“I’m sorry if I woke you up from your slumber.” Stephanie apologized as he glanced back over at her. “I was curious about you.”

An angry grunt came from him after Stephanie apologized to him and said, “Well, if you are sorry, then put that tarp back on me and get lost!”

He snapped at her angrily as Stephanie clenched the tarp in her hand with both of her hands.

She shook like a leaf in front of him, feeling scared of being hurt or trapped forever with them.

“I-I’m sorry,” Stephanie stammered, looking like she was on the verge of crying. “I heard a story about you, and I was wondering if I could find you.”

Stephanie paused as she sniffed, still trembling like a leaf in front of him in fear as she gripped the tarp in her hands tighter.

He cocked an eyebrow after Stephanie explained, his anger fading away a little as she stood there.

“Who told you the story?” he demanded, his tone sounding a little gruff rather than angry.

“D-Duke,” Stephanie stammered as she answered his question without hesitation. 

He groaned after Stephanie explained, rolling his eyes.

“Of course, that old geezer is still alive,” he grumbled to himself. “It should’ve been better if he had said that there was someone else with him!”

Stephanie softly gasped after he grumbled to himself, remembering the story Duke had told her about him, explaining how he stubbornly refused to listen to his advice and ended up as a generator.

…Does he still have any regrets for ignoring the warnings, or does he have anger towards Duke for not helping him?

He paused for a moment after explaining the truth to Stephanie, sighing again.

“Now, since I have told you the truth, may you leave now?!” he snapped again, moving a little from where he was as the wood underneath him creaked.

Stephanie flinched again from his snap and was about to cry when something shuffled from underneath the other tarp.

“Smudger?” a voice asked, sounding confused and half-tired. “What’s going on, and who are you yelling at?”

Smudger, the name of the angry dark-green steam train, glancing over at the tarp who asked him, as Stephanie dropped the one she had pulled off of him onto the ground.

Being generous, Stephanie reached over to the tarp and pulled it off from him, noticing that there was another steam train.

He was covered in dirt and dust and was halfway broken down from age.

The base of the engine is unique, and it is Virginia and Truckee 18 Dayton.

His background color is black, with red lines with the name “Ryland” on each side of his cab.

Like Smudger, his number was scratched off instead of using a screwdriver.

His paint has faded into a lighter color and chipped from old age.

When he noticed Stephanie from the corner of his eye, he instantly frowned and stayed quiet.

Stephanie ignored the frown on his face after noticing him and glanced around the cave, trying to keep her emotions down.

Then, she noticed that there was another engine inside, except taller than the others.

She moved onto the next train inside after dropping the other tarp in her hand, approaching a larger one.

“Hey!” snapped Smudger. “Don’t get too close to that one! He’s terrifying!”

Stephanie continued to ignore the warnings from Smudger and pulled the tarp off the last engine, noticing that the train was much larger than the others.

Even after pulling the tarp off, she encountered a face that was covered with a metal mask.

The engine’s basis was a Milwaukee Road’s A2 class, and his black paint job was chipped and covered in dust.

There was no number on him, but the faint smell of melted metal was coming from him.

When he noticed Stephanie bravely standing in front of him, his eyes narrowed.

Goosebumps rose on Stephanie’s arm when he noticed her, taking a few steps away from him, remembering an almost familiar face like his.

“Uh,” Stephanie spoke, shaking again as she dropped the large tarp in her hands. “Why is this engine wearing a mask?”

“Not going to tell you and not dared to even ask,” snapped Smudger as she jolted again. “All you humans do is never care for us careless steam engines! All you ever did was toss us away like scrap!”

The words hurt Stephanie as she flinched as she turned around to Smudger.

“But, I care about you,” Stephanie protested, even though she was crying. “I think everyone could have a second chance, even if they are evil or downright stubborn!”

Now, it was Smudger’s turn to be startled by the protest that Stephanie had said back to him.

“I don’t give two scraps about what you all say about us humans,” Stephanie continued. “I’m going to help you all, no matter what!”

It was not from fear or the dust of the tarps she pulled off, but it was from the sudden bravery she had, even from the hurt of the poison in Smudger’s voice.

Smudger, however, looked surprised by Stephanie’s determination after she snapped.

But his surprise turned to worry a little when he heard her sobbing as she moved her hands up to wipe her tears away.

“Now you have done it,” Ryland groaned before glancing over at her as the flashlight was on the ground. “Hey, come here. Don’t mind my grumpy cave-mate, but he has had a rough time with humans ever since.”

Smudger grumbled under his breath and glanced away, not even looking at Ryland as he shifted his body to the side a little, as the wood supporting him creaked a little.

Stephanie lifted her head a little after Ryland spoke to her before nodding her head and walked over to him while crying.

Once she was close to him, Stephanie sat down in front of him while sniffing, using her sleeves to wipe her tears away.

He stared at her for a moment as he watched, before noticing something that seemed a little... off.

“How old are you?” Ryland asked after she had calmed down a little from crying.

“Eleven,” Stephanie answered, after sniffing.

Instantly, Ryland’s and Smudger’s expressions on their faces paled slightly as the big engine’s eyes widened a little.

Her parents would be terrified half to death if they realized that she is missing!

“‘Eleven?!’” exclaimed Smudger. “Where the heck are your parents?!”

Stephanie’s shoulders hunched a little as she placed her hands on her legs, curling slightly on the cold and dirty gravel ground.

“I don’t have any parents.” Stephanie whimpered softly. “But, my foster-father is coming here from America.”

Smudger looked floored from the answer Stephanie gave him after she answered Ryland’s question, glancing around for a way out for her.

Ryland and the masked engine in the back were concerned for Stephanie, as the masked engine looked more concerned than Ryland.

“Then… who’s taking care of you?” Smudger slowly asked, not sounding annoyed or angry anymore.

Stephanie glanced over at Smudger and answered, as she had a sad expression on her face, “Sir Topham Hatt is taking care of me until he comes back.”

Then, slightly confused expressions appeared on their faces.

“Who’s ‘Sir Topham Hatt?’” Ryland asked.

Stephanie pushed back a strand of brown hair from her face, answering, “He’s the conductor of the rails.”

They were silent after Stephanie answered, before Ryland asked, “What year is it now?”

Stephanie sniffed as she wiped her tears away with the bottom of her palm, with her sleeve, and answered, “2020.”

“‘2020?!’” Smudger exclaimed. “That’s almost seventy-four years!”

Stephanie silently nodded in agreement before glancing up at the entrance, noticing that it was blocked off with rocks.

She paused a little after noticing the rocks blocking the exit out of the mine, thinking to herself.

Then, she wiped the last of her tears away from her face and stood up from the ground she was sitting on.

Ryland looked confused as she picked up her flashlight from the ground and walked up to the blocked entrance.

When she was close to it, Stephanie placed the flashlight down and stared at the rocks for a moment.

“What are you doing?” Ryland curiously asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Stephanie felt one of the rocks with her hand, thinking to herself for a moment.

Glancing around, Stephanie noticed a metal pole on the side, which looked sturdy enough to break through the rock.

Picking it up from the ground, Stephanie stared at it for a moment before turning to the engines, noticing the confused expressions on their faces.

“I will break all of you out from being trapped here forever,” Stephanie finally answered.

“You?” Smudger scoffed as Ryland had a concerned expression on his face. “Pah! You can’t even-”

Before he could continue his sentences, Stephanie lifted the end of the metal pole and hit one of the rocks in front of her.

The force of the pole broke through the rock and caused it to collapse down from the pile.

It landed in front of Stephanie as she backed away slightly to not get her feet crushed from under it.

It reached up to Stephanie’s knees and was broken  _ in half _ .

Stephanie glanced back over at the engines after breaking a rock, seeing Ryland’s and Smudger’s expressions, their eyes popped wide like saucers, and their jaws dropped to their front buffers.

However, the masked engine has his eyes wide with the impression of Stephanie’s strength, instead of shock.

“You were saying something?” Stephanie sassily asked before placing the pole to the side and reaching down to the rock.

Hooking her fingers underneath the rock, Stephanie  _ lifted  _ the rock and walked it over to the side of the cave, placing it down.

After placing the rock down, Stephanie picked her pole up and looked at the end, noticing that it cracked a little, now pointed slanted.

This gave Stephanie an idea to make the work go faster.

Picking a good-sized rock up from the ground in her hand, Stephanie placed the pole down on the rock she smashed out from the pile blocking the cave’s entrance, this time the cracked side down.

Using the rock in her hand, Stephanie cracked the other side of the pole and made it look like a spear, flattening it to make it easier for her to get in between the rocks.

After re-constructing her pole from what it used to look like before, Stephanie placed her new post down.

Once she had placed her pole down, Stephanie picked the flashlight up from the ground beside her, deciding to look for something to light the way.

Then, she noticed something over her head when she looked up.

Lifting it, Stephanie noticed that it was a torch, and the oil on it was still good.

Smirking to herself, Stephanie reached down to the rock pile and searched through the rocks before finding a flint and a random stone.

After taking the two rocks into her hands in the same shape, Stephanie stood back up to her feet and began to strike the two stones together, producing small sparks to the engines’ impressed, before lighting the torch.

After lighting the torch, Stephanie smirked gently to herself and went to the next one, repeating the same process as she did before.

Rather than ask her, the engines instead went silent, wondering what was about to happen next as they watched with confusion.

When the last one was lit up, the cave was bright enough for Stephanie to see inside, including the hole in the ceiling, seeing that the entrance was blocked off by a landslide.

She could guess that it was from the people who locked them away for no reason.

Irritation was inside her for what they had done to the engines, but she lashed out at the rocks, pulling each one down from the slide.

“Be careful!” Ryland called her. “You might get hurt or worse, crushed by one of the rocks!”

Stephanie glanced over her shoulder and nodded after picking one rock up from the ground and moving it to the side.

After a few hits with a thick rock, Stephanie broke through it with the end of her pole and backed away as it landed on the ground, with some smaller rock bouncing off it.

Sunlight poured into the cave from the other side, causing Stephanie to lift her hand to cover her eyes slightly.

“I-Is that the sun?” Smudger asked, sounding slightly excited.

“Yep,” Stephanie nodded as she picked up her pole again. “And if Sir Topham Hatt or anyone else finds us here, I might be in trouble with them.”

“Oh…” Ryland nervously spoke. “That…”

They were nervous about being scrapped after being caught, uncertain if Sir Topham Hatt would like them.

After the last rock was removed, Stephanie picked that rock up and moved it to the side, placing it down.

Now that the sunlight is in the cave, Stephanie could see that they are on the side of a mountain.

But a few more miles away from the station nearby from the description from Ace’s driver.

Glancing up at the sun, Stephanie noticed that it was afternoon, telling her she was stuck in the cave for five hours.

“What’s wrong now?” Smudger asked. “Now that you’re free, you can return to Sir Topham Hatt.”

Stephanie turned to them and said, “But, not without you all.”

Anxious expressions appeared on their faces when Stephanie said while the big engine in the back eyes looked slightly concerned.

“What are you, crazy?!” Ryland exclaimed. “If you tell this ‘Sir Topham Hatt’ about us, we’re scrapped for good!”

Stephanie understood their fear and stepped back into the cave, assuring them, “Don’t worry. I’ll explain to Sir Topham Hatt and get an engine here to get you all out. Okay?”

With that, Stephanie went off to find a way out from the side of the mountains, leaving the concerned and anxious Ryland, Smudger, and the big engine in the background.

“Is she serious?” Smudger asked, glancing over at Ryland.

“Who knows?” Ryland answered in response. “She is one crazy girl, though.”

Smudger nodded in agreement, but as the bigger engine at the back was silent, looking concerned and thoughtful from behind the mask.

Meanwhile, the walk took Stephanie a few hours to finally reach the mini railway station, panting and sweating from her workout.

Her cheeks were red, and she used her sleeve to wipe the sweat off her brow.

She had the pole with her to prove to Sir Topham Hatt that she was not lying to him about her truth.

“There you are!” Stephanie flinched from someone’s voice, turning around to see that it was from Rex. “Where have you been, young lady?!”

Stephanie was about to explain what she has been doing for the past eight hours until Bert and Mike appeared.

Their drivers stepped out of their cabs and walked over to Stephanie, who was red in the face and puffing.

“Why are your cheeks red and sweating?” Mike asked. “You look like you were working out for something.”

Stephanie sighed and answered from between pants as Bert’s driver wiped the sweat from her forehead with a spare handkerchief from his pocket, “I-I found some new engines…”

Before she could continue, Stephanie collapsed mid-sentence from using her strength up from walking through the old railway to the Arlesdale Railway.

Rex’s driver caught her before she could land on the ground, making the three small engines worried.

Soon after, Thomas appeared on the small railway with a worried Sir Topham Hatt after one of the drivers called Knapford.

Stephanie was sitting on the benches, awake now from passing out from the slight heatstroke and having a glass of iced tea given to her by a stationmaster.

She was still exhausted from walking and breaking out from the cave-in.

When Thomas arrived on time, Sir Topham Hatt appeared and stepped out of Thomas’ cab.

“There she is!” Sir Topham Hatt sighed as Stephanie glanced over at him. “Where were you, young lady?”

Stephanie waited as Sir Topham Hatt stood in front of her, his hand on his hips.

“You nearly-” Sir Topham Hatt was cut off from Stephanie when she said, lifting her hand as the other was holding the iced tea, “Excuse me for a minute, but may I interrupt for a moment?”

The polite excuse confused Sir Topham Hatt, but said, moving his hands behind his back, “Go right ahead.”

Stephanie explained her findings to Sir Topham Hatt, telling him and Thomas that she had found not only one engine but three engines in a cave she opened after accidentally crashing inside.

Showing that she was not lying to Sir Topham Hatt, Stephanie showed him the pole she escaped from, mentioning the damaged end that she changed.

After showing Sir Topham Hatt the pole in her hand she used to get out of the mine she was stuck inside, he paused a little to himself for a moment before asking, “Can you show us where you found them?”

Stephanie nodded her head and, with the help of Thomas, lead them into the abandoned railway, which was a little hard for Thomas to get through since the rails were rickety and old.

So, Stephanie, Sir Topham Hatt, and his helpers went on foot, walking over small trenches, going over small rocks, and eventually reaching the opened mine.

Using a flashlight in her hand that she had taken with her and the torches inside the cave, Stephanie showed Sir Topham Hatt the three engines inside, as each of them looked a little worried.

“My, Stephanie,” Sir Topham Hatt spoke. “These are wonderful engines!”

They glanced at each other after he spoke, as Stephanie nodded in agreement, moving her hands behind her back as she blushed.

“Let’s get them out of the mine and take them to the Steamworks to be repaired and repainted.” Smudger, Ryland, and the masked engine in the back perked from what he said as Stephanie sighed in relief.

As the days passed, Rocky helped the crew to get Smudger, Ryland, and the masked engine out of the abandoned mine.

Once each of them was out of the mine, Rocky placed them onto flatbeds to be repaired.

“Thanks, kid.” Smudger thanked as he glanced over at her. “Maybe I was wrong about you after all.”

“No problem, Smudger.” Stephanie smiled. “And, my name isn’t ‘kid,’ it’s Stephanie.”

In the Steamworks, Smudger, Ryland, and the masked engine were being repaired as Stephanie came in to see how the work was going, remembering to keep her hair up in a ponytail.

“Ah, hello, Stephie.” Smudger greeted. “What are you doing here?”

“Checking on how the work is doing,” Stephanie answered, moving to the side for Kevin to move parts around.

“Careful,” Victor warned. “You might get accidentally hurt if you’re not careful, Stephanie.”

Stephanie nodded her head and sat down on a crate, which was out of the way for the workers.

She watched how Smudger, Ryland, and the masked engine were doing while they were being mended.

During the process, Stephanie was close to the masked engine when she decided to move for one of the workers, hearing a male’s voice whisper, “Thank you, little one. My name is Damian.”

Stephanie turned around to see where the voice was coming from, thinking it was from a ghost.

But she paused a little from her search and simply smiled after hearing the voice speak to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	16. Trouble On The Rails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smudger was ready to go to a different railway to prove himself that he is a changed engine... but has to keep undercover in a hairy situation!

Once they were restored back into their original coats and fixed from being nearly rusted, Stephanie was concerned for them, knowing that they did not have anywhere else to go.

But Sir Topham Hatt surprised her when she was in his office the next day after hearing the conversations he had over the phone.

For Ryland, the Virginia and Truckee 18 Dayton locomotive, he is working with an unknown company that Stephanie had not heard of before, called ‘The Misty Island Logging Company.’

This seemed to pique Stephanie’s curiosity about the company, wanting to know more about both it and the island called ‘Misty Island.’

But, deciding to save the island for later, Stephanie only placed it on a sticky note and stuck it in her head, just to remind herself to see what the island is about with Sir Topham Hatt.

With Damian, Milwaukee Road’s A2 class locomotive wearing a metal mask, Stephanie was worried at first when Sir Topham Hatt called the Ironworks, thinking he  _ was _ going to scrap him, but relieved when they instead hired him.

But, when it came to Smudger, the missing Fletcher Jennings Class Bb locomotive, Stephanie’s high hopes lingered a little, thinking no one would take Smudger since his cockiness and rudeness many years ago.

Sir Topham Hatt did not see Stephanie’s worries on her face after he finished with Damian but called a station that seemed to surprise Stephanie.

He had called Mr. Percival, the owner of the  _ Skarloey Railway that has Duke working at. _

Why call the Skarloey Railway instead of the other railways just as she hoped would take him?

She bit her lips with her teeth nervously as she listened to the conversation between Sir Topham Hatt and Mr. Percival, remembering Duke’s words as  _ if _ he had met Smudger again.

‘ _ But if we did find him… _ ’ Duke once spoke to her as she listened to his stories about the relationship between him and Smudger. _ _ ‘ _ I don’t know about accepting him again since he was reckless in his past. _ ’

Stephanie clenched her sweater in her hand, still feeling  _ very _ nervous about Smudger for encountering Duke one more time, not wanting to see an argument between the two.

So, after staying in the office with Sir Topham Hatt, Stephanie went to visit Smudger, worried about his reaction to the news of working at a railway with Duke.

But as she reached his shed and entered, Stephanie was about to gently wake him up from his sleep as he had a tarp draped over him like a blanket, a sudden feeling of sleepiness washed over her.

Blinking a few times with confusion, Stephanie yawned a couple of times as she covered her mouth with a hand, shaking her head a little.

But her unusual sleepiness seemed to make Stephanie drowsy. 

So while being half-asleep and half-awake, she crawled underneath something that seemed to cover her body like a blanket and fell asleep.

* * *

Smudger slowly woke up after a few hours passed, blinking a few times with grogginess, before yawning widely.

While inhaling, something hair-like went into his mouth suddenly, causing him to cough and gag a little, spitting out what entered his mouth.

‘Ew!’ he groaned as he sputtered the hairy thing out of his mouth. ‘What did I eat? A spider? Ew!’

Smudger shook his body with disgust a little after eating a ‘spider’ as some tarp draped over him moved slightly.

But to his confusion, he still could not see the light since the tarp was not covering his eyes.

Did he get tricked into another cave?

“Okay,” he spoke, frowning with irritation. “If this is a prank, I swear, it’s-it-it-is-ACHOO!”

He gave out a loud sneeze after calling out to whoever was in the shed, bringing up a cloud of soot from his funnel.

After sneezing, Smudger shook a little before noticing that he could see parts of the light through the boards of the shed in front of him.

But it looked like there was…  _ hair _ in front of his face?

Smudger felt perplexed when he noticed the strands of hair in front of his face, thinking some magic must have made him human but sees that he was still himself, a locomotive.

…But whose hair was on his face then?

His driver soon came into the shed and saw a very confused Smudger, with  _ hair _ dangling over his face, looking like he had grown some.

“What on earth happened?” his driver asked, picking up one of the strands.

“I don’t know,” Smudger answered. “I woke up like this.”

The driver paused a little after Smudger answered, but before doing anything else, a manager came into the shed and said, “You need to go to the Skarloey Railway, there you’ll meet Mr. Percival, your new manager.”

Forget about the mysterious hair covering his face, Smudger was excited to work once more on his new wheels as his driver went to work with him, puffing out of the shed and towards the Skarloey Railway.

But along the way, Smudger was relieved that nothing had happened to him, nor been derailed as he thought he would be.

Except for the hair being in his face all the time as the wind blew against him.

It kept causing him to have to slow down a few times, shaking his body to get the hair away and keep going with his adventure.

It also kept tickling his nose and covering his eyes, which came to the point where Smudger almost went into things because of it.

He had no time to slow down or stop to get all the hair away from his face, eager to go to work, not wanting to make the same mistake again many years ago.

When he reached the Skarloey Railway, Smudger stopped at the right time at the right place… but a few feet away from where Mr. Percival was standing.

“Uh, I’m over here.” Mr. Percival spoke as Smudger blew the hair from his face, blushing a little with slight embarrassment.

Smudger backed up to where Mr. Percival was, saying, “Sorry, Sir.”

Mr. Percival noticed the long strands of hair on his face but did not seem to notice the tarp on him, which blended in with his paintwork.

“Where did you get all that hair?” Mr. Percival asked, sounding confused.

Smudger was about to make a sarcastic response about his ‘hair’ when he suddenly stopped to see  _ Duke pulling coaches! _

How on earth did he come here, and why was he not told about this?!

Deciding to come up with a lie not to be discovered by Duke to get his buffers chewed out by him after so many years have passed, Smudger allowed the hair to cover his face once more.

Luckily, the tarp also covered his nameplates to make things easier for him to be under disguise.

“Uh, it’s a natural growth.” Smudger lied, watching a blur of Duke’s paintwork coming close, before passing by. “Some engines have hair like this.”

Mr. Percival paused after Smudger lied, nodding his head slowly as he placed a hand on his chin thoughtfully.

“Okay,” Mr. Percival spoke. “What is your name?”

“Uh, Forrest,” Smudger lied, sweating a little nervously. “Forrest is my name.”

“‘Forrest?’” Mr. Percival mumbled softly to himself. “I thought we were going to get an engine named ‘Smudger?’”

Smudger felt his mind scream when he heard him mumble his name, praying to the Lady of the Mountains to give him strength.

“Uh, I’m-I’m new here!” Smudger stammered as he lied more, sweating nervously. “I came from California!”

“Really?” Mr. Percival cocked an eyebrow as Smudger smiled nervously, hoping that he would take his lie. “Okay then, why don’t you help sort out the trucks in the yard?”

Smudger nodded and puffed on, heading towards the yard where he was told to work.

Once he had reached there, he gave out a sigh of relief as the hair moved away from one of his eyes.

“Bust my buffers! That was a close one!” Smudger sighed in relief before looking at the trucks. “Okay, let’s work on these trucks.”

So, during the day, Smudger worked on the trucks as best he could, stopping a few times to get the hair from his face to see better, mostly to hide from Duke as he passed around, not even noticing him in the yard.

After the last of the trucks were moved, Smudger stopped as he huffed, feeling a little overheated with all the hair covering his face.

‘How can Steph move around with all  _ this _ in her face?!’ Smudger hissed to himself, looking cross-eyed at one of the strands of hair, annoyed about his new ‘hairdo.’

“Excuse me?” Smudger nearly bolted off the tracks when he heard a voice, thinking it was Mr. Percival or Duke.

But when he looked in front of him, he was relieved when he noticed that it was a worker instead.

“Are you open to helping someone?” the worker asked.

“Sure, what is it?” Smudger responded, cocking his head to the side a little.

The worker pointed to a hill over to the side, saying, “Peter Sam is stuck trying to climb the hill with some goods trucks. Can you help him?”

Smudger smiled cheekily and said, “Sure, don’t mind if I do.”

So, Smudger went to see this ‘Peter Sam,’ not  _ too _ annoyed about his hair covering his face and tickling his nose, mostly poking and covering his eyes a little.

As he was close to the destination, Smudger’s boiler nearly jumped from his frame when he saw  _ Duke _ coming towards where he was now pulling trucks behind him.

His mind went into cursing mode, screaming curses in his mind as he went to focus on the tracks, not daring himself to look at Duke.

Just as they passed by each other, Smudger felt his water go frozen for a quick second before picking up speed a little.

“Good afternoon!” Smudger felt a little confused when he heard Duke call a ‘good afternoon’ to him from behind but shook his mind.

When he reached the scene, Smudger paused a little when he encountered a  _ strange _ engine with a funny-looking funnel.

“Who the heck are  _ you _ ?” the funny green engine asked, noticing Smudger and his hair. “And is that  _ hair _ covering your face?”

Smudger only stayed silent after he mentioned his ‘hair,’ saying, “I woke up like this earlier, so I am not in the mood with all the questions. Now, do you, or do you not want help?”

The green engine huffed and said, “Of course I want help! All I need is a push from the other end.”

Smudger nodded and went backwards, switching lines and coupled up to the back of the trucks, getting ready to push.

Luckily, there was a brake van at the end, so he would not have to be face-to-face with one of them, but painfully can hear the humiliations about his ‘hair.’

“Hey, did you see that new engine with the stupid hairdo?” one of the trucks sneered.

“Yeah, he looked like Rapunzel!” another giggled.

“No, no! He looks like a girl!” chuckled another truck.

“An ugly girl!” another laughed before the whole line of trucks started laughing.

Smudger felt so embarrassed and very irritated, half wanting to hide back in his shed for having to be woken up with suddenly growing long hair and wanting to derail these trucks for making fun of it.

But remembering that it would eventually get him caught by Duke and get his buffers chewed out by him, or get sent away by Mr. Percival, Smudger  _ painfully _ helped the strange engine up the hill.

As usual, the trucks were being troublesome, rocking back and forth to shake the engines a little as they pushed them up the hill.

But then there was trouble.

The coupling link coupled to the green engine’s buffers behind him started to give out, snapping, and the trucks tumbled into Smudger!

Smudger yelped when the trucks bashed into him, causing him to derail and skidded backwards, going  _ down _ the hill!

“On, on, on!” the trucks laughed as Smudger hit the brakes as hard as he could. “Faster, faster, faster!”

The truck in front of Smudger had no luck since his ‘hair’ was getting into his face, causing it to grumble and spit out the strands as each of them fluttered against him.

Smudger grunted as he continued applying the brakes on, luckily only slowing the truck down a little as it went backwards, still feeling a bit twisted after being derailed a short minute later.

He passed by some station as he continued going down the hill, but eventually, Smudger applied enough strength into his brakes to make them come into a slow and gentle tap into what seemed to be another engine behind him.

“Are you alright?” a voice asked, as Smudger sighed in relief. “Yeah, I’m fine! Just irritated with the trucks here! The coupling link must’ve snapped.”

The green engine struggling with the trucks came over to see what happened after the close accident, seeing nothing had happened but noticing that half of the engine’s hair was removed, showing an oddly  _ familiar _ face.

“Hey, what’s your name?” The green engine asked. “You look familiar from one of the stories Grandpuff used to tell us.”

‘‘Grandpuff?’’ Smudger thought to himself. ‘Who’s… oh, wait. That’s Duke’s nickname, now?’

“Um, my name is Forrest,” Smudger lied, gulping a little with worry. “You must’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

The green engine looked a little confused after he shook the question off before waiting for the other behind him to move, so he could get out of the way.

Once he had moved out of his way, Smudger went back to the yard to work on the trucks.

He was still confused and worried about what Duke told them all these years while he was gone.

Did he use what he did to warn them not to become like him?

Half of Smudger felt more embarrassed by his past and warned other engines about being cocky and rude, but the other half of him felt… regret for being like that.

But Smudger’s thoughts were cut off when he noticed a  _ very _ stout man entering the station with a number one tank engine, who looked worried.

‘He looked like he is the head honcho.’ Smudger thought to himself as some hair was not covering one of his eyes. ‘I wonder who he is.’

But instead of puffing over to the worrying number one tank engine, Smudger instead decided to take a small nap, considering a job’s well done.

But it was not over.

A group of kids walked over to Smudger as he slept, seeing all the hair covering his face and reaching to his buffers.

“What’s this engine with hair?” one of the kids asked, pointing to the hair.

“Can all engines have hair like this?” another asked, sounding confused.

“Shh, shh, don’t wake him up.” another giggled before thinking to herself. “How about we give him a makeover, so he wouldn’t have trouble not seeing?”

“I like that idea!” a girl nodded in agreement.

So while Smudger slept, the kids went to braid the long hair, placing clips on it to keep strands of loose bangs out of his eyes.

They even place colorful rubber bands at the ends of the braided hair strands.

Soon, they completed their ‘playdate’ with the sleeping engine, seeing that he was still asleep.

After getting the last of the strands of hair from his face, Duke came over to notice the kids playing around with an engine, asking, “What are you young ones doing?”

The kids giggled after Duke asked, getting up from sitting close to Smudger and ran off.

Duke came over to see what they were doing after they had disappeared to the station with their parents.

He stopped when he saw that it was  _ Smudger, _ but the most confusing thing is that he has  _ long brown hair _ ?

Smudger was sleeping in the yard as Duke stared at him with surprise, as his unusual hair was braided and clipped back, including braids that reached down to his buffers.

Duke had to shake himself to see that he was dreaming, but when he opened his eyes, sure enough, Smudger was still in front of him, sleeping and with his unusual hairstyle.

He paused a little after staring at Smudger for a few minutes before whistling his whistle, waking up the sleeping Smudger.

Smudger snorted awake after hearing Duke’s whistle, half-asleep and half-awake as he blinked sleepily.

“Okay, okay,” Smudger mumbled, blinking a few times. “I’m awake.”

As he blinked, Smudger first saw a blur of an old maroon color before seeing Duke standing in front of him.

“Oh, hi, Dukey.” Smudger greeted half-sleepily before his eyes popped wide after his mind did a double-take. “DUKE?!”

He nearly whistled out of surprise when he saw Duke in front of him, jolting backwards with surprise.

“Yes,” Duke nodded. “It is me.”

Smudger’s boiler ran cold after Duke nodded, thinking he  _ was about  _ to get his buffers chewed out by him for good.

So, trying to cover his buffers from being chewed out, Smudger said, “W-We-Well, you look nice after a couple of years have passed.”

Duke cocked an eyebrow after Smudger remarked as Smudger blushed nervously, feeling sweat dripped off his face.

“Indeed,” Duke nodded slowly. “But that doesn’t help with what are you doing here?”

The back of Smudger’s cab shivered at the cold tone in Duke’s voice, sounding like a hint he does not belong on the railway.

“Uh, Sir Topham Hatt brought me here,” Smudger spoke, gulping once. “Stephanie found me with Ryland and the other engine back at the railway we both used to work at, restoring us back to what we used to look like.”

Duke’s expression changed after Smudger mentioned Stephanie, asking, “Stephanie found you and the others?”

“Yes, she did,” Smudger nodded, gulping once. “An-And, I swear, I’m a changed engine! I promise not to do the same thing again. Besides,”

Smudger moved back and forth gently, showing him that his derailing problem had been fixed.

“I can’t derail as easily as I used to,” Smudger continued as Duke listened to him blabbering. “The workers fixed that issue!”

He instantly went silent when he noticed Duke’s expression has not changed, causing Smudger to feel more of his boiler turn cold, worried that he might have spoken too much or too little to save his buffers.

“I see that you were fixed,” Duke slowly nodded, as Smudger’s face paled a little. “But, you sure were a hassle back then!”

Smudger slightly winced as he awaited his fate to be chewed out by him.

“But, you proved yourself that you  _ did  _ change.” Smudger’s mind stopped when he heard the last line from Duke, blinking a few times in confusion.

“What do you mean?” Smudger asked in confusion.

“Well, you helped Peter Sam with his trucks,” Duke explained. “And you also stopped them from crashing into Sir Handel.”

Smudger smiled a little after Duke explained, remembering a scene that had almost happened to Sir Handel if he was not strong enough to stop.

“Yeah, I couldn’t let those trucks hurt another engine.” Smudger shrugged. “Besides, I didn’t want to repeat the same thing a long time ago.”

“Yes,” Duke nodded. “And I’m glad that you changed Smudger. I have been slightly missing you.”

“What do you mean by slightly, Dukie?” Smudger asked, sounding confused with a hint of hurt in the tone of voice.

Duke chuckled after Smudger asked, answering, “I was  _ still _ angry at you for your antics a long time ago, but since you proved yourself, I forgive you.”

Smudger smiled after Duke answered, as he asked, “Although, when did you grow hair?”

‘Oh, that.’ Smudger huffed, pausing a little when he noticed that he  _ could _ see, but felt the hair there.

“I woke up with it all of a sudden,” Smudger answered, glancing back over at Duke. “It was like that when I got here too.”

Duke paused a little after Smudger explained, saying, “But I thought hair grows on your  _ face _ , not on your boiler.”

That made Smudger pause a little, remembering some engines that have mustaches and stubbles, but not actual hair like how humans have.

“You’re right,” Smudger nodded. “Then,  _ who _ is on me?”

Duke’s and Smudger’s drivers stepped out of their cab and walked over to Smudger, noticing that there was a tarp on him.

“Oh, I forgot about the tarp.” Smudger’s driver chuckled. “I must’ve left it on when we came here.”

“Not only that,” Duke’s driver smiled. “There is  _ someone _ under it.”

A surprised expression appeared on both Smudger’s and Duke’s face as the tarp was carefully removed, revealing to be  _ Stephanie! _

“Well, would you look at that.” chuckled Smudger’s driver. “It’s  _ Stephanie’s _ hair that was covering your face. She must’ve fallen asleep on you when you were still in your shed.”

“And the whole time while I was  _ working _ and through the  _ crash _ ?!” Smudger softly exclaimed. “She  _ slept _ through all that?”

“Well, if you are tired, you have to sleep at one point.” shrugged Duke’s driver.

The number one tank engine soon came to the yard with the same expression on his face before seeing Stephanie sleeping on top of a locomotive he had seen once briefly.

“Cinders and ashes,” he softly exclaimed. “Stephanie was with  _ you?! _ ”

“Yep,” Smudger nodded. “ _ And _ was asleep the whole time too.”

A surprised expression appeared on his face when Smudger added, as Sir Handel and Peter Sam came over, seeing Smudger without hair covering his face and with the tarp covering his nameplates.

“You’re Smudger?” Peter Sam asked, sounding confused. “I thought you were named ‘Forrest?’”

“Who’s ‘Forrest?’” Duke asked, sounding confused.

Smudger groaned a little as he blushed sheepishly, saying, “Well, I was worried about getting my buffers chewed out by Duke, so I came up with a fake name.”

“Adding with a new hairstyle with the tarp,” giggled Sir Handel.

Smudger blushed more and said, “Very funny. It’s Stephanie’s hair, and if you want to know why she is sleeping  _ on _ me.”

A few chuckles emerged from the group before the same stout gentleman appeared, seeing Stephanie on top of Smudger.

“Oh, there she is!” he exclaimed before being gently shushed by Smudger.

“Not too loud, please.” Smudger softly spoke as he glanced up at Stephanie. “She has been sleeping like this throughout the entire day.”

The stout gentleman understood what Smudger said before nodding his head, and Mr. Percival appeared, noticing Smudger with his nameplates.

After explaining, Smudger paused a little at the thought of why he could see since Stephanie’s hair was draped over his face.

“Hey, what happened while I was napping?” Smudger asked, turning his attention to one of the engines.

“Well,” Duke softly chuckled. “The kids noticed you in the yard asleep, so they came over and,”

He paused as a worker picked up an engine-sized mirror and reflected it towards Smudger, as Duke finished, “They put  _ your _ hair up for you.”

Instantly, Smudger’s face turned as beet red as James’ paintwork, feeling more embarrassed at the new hairstyle the kids gave him.

“Do you like that hairstyle?” Peter Sam joked.

“Well, the color of the hair is not my type,” Smudger joked back. “Neither does the length, but I’m surprised at how stylish the bands were.”

The group chuckled again after Smudger joked back, as he blushed a little more, but was glad that Duke had not chewed him out after meeting him again.

He glanced up at the sleeping Stephanie, half glad she fell asleep on him to change things around a little, but the other half of him was a little peeved at her for picking him out of everything in the shed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	17. Lost In The Misty Island's Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie has been told about Misty Island, only to be there, in an unsuspected way...

Stephanie’s curiosity continued buzzing in her head, wondering to herself about the Misty Island she had previously heard of before.

It sounds like it came from a mysterious story or a never heard island that has been forgotten a long time ago.

So, Stephanie decided to ask someone a question about where she could see the island from a distance from where she could see the island itself.

Remembering the crew at Brendam Docks, Stephanie walked to the docks, seeing O.J there, getting his barge unloaded from Cranky.

“Hello!” Stephanie called the crew the best she could.

She hopes that she would someday get a whistle for herself, so she would be known without having to be ignored.

Luckily, one of the crew members heard Stephanie’s call, honking in response.

“Ahoy, Stephanie!” Salty greeted. “Wha’ brought ye here?”

“I came here to ask a question, Salty,” Stephanie explained, turning as Salty moved some flatbeds around as Porter had his loaded with the cargo O.J had.

“What’s the question?” Porter curiously asked.

“An island called ‘Misty Island.’” Stephanie answered as Salty moved back to where Stephanie was standing. “Does any of you know what the island is about?”

“You’ve heard about it?” Cranky asked during his unloading.

“From Sir Topham Hatt while in his office at Knapford.” Stephanie nodded. “I haven’t been there yet either.”

Salty thought to himself for a moment after Stephanie asked, understanding that she was curious about the strange island herself.

Glancing away, he looked out into the open sea, watching as the mist lifted from around an unknown woodland island.

“Look out in th’ open sea, Stephanie.” Salty nodded as Stephanie glanced over to where he nodded to.

From out in the distance, a woodland island appeared from the mist as it faded away.

It surprised Stephanie as she watched with curiosity and awe, standing on her tippy-toes.

“Is that island Misty Island?” Stephanie curiously asked, pointing to the island.

“Yes, that’s the island,” Porter nodded. “Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand work there.”

Stephanie’s head cock to the side curiously after hearing the names, feeling more perplexed about the mysterious island.

“Stephanie!” Stephanie turned around after hearing her name being called and saw Sir Topham Hatt standing from the dock. “Where are you?”

Stephanie giggled after Sir Topham Hatt called her when she noticed him in the docks, before hiding behind a truck, to the truck’s confusion.

Salty watched with confusion as Stephanie snuck around Sir Topham Hatt, turning around with him as he glanced around.

“Where are you?” Sir Topham Hatt spoke as Stephanie placed a finger against her lips to Salty.

Just as Sir Topham Hatt turned around to look for her, Stephanie gave out a ‘Boo!’ as she jumpscare him.

He gave out a yelp after being startled by Stephanie, jumping a few inches back.

His helpers jolted from the jumpscare Stephanie did, on the verge of going in front to protect him from the sudden ‘attack.’

Stephanie laughed along with the truck she was hiding behind.

Salty even chuckled along with Porter, watching as Sir Topham Hatt sighed after noticing that it was only Stephanie.

“Don’t scare me like that!” Sir Topham Hatt sighed. “How on earth did you sneak all the way here?”

Stephanie winked cheekily and said, “That’s a little secret of mine I have.”

Sir Topham Hatt rolled his eyes with slight amusement after Stephanie cheekily winked at him before heading back to Knapford to his office.

Stephanie decided to stay out of Sir Topham Hatt’s office instead of being with him, looking around the station to get her curiosity down a little.

But the curiosity about Misty Island seemed to be stuck in her mind.

Stephanie stopped walking with a gentle groan, still annoyed that she could not get the thought of Misty Island out of her mind.

As much as she wanted to learn more about Misty Island, she did not want to take Sir Topham Hatt or any of the engines around to satisfy her curiosity, only to be annoyed with her.

A hand suddenly touched her shoulder, which was a little rough as Stephanie yelped, turning around to see Mason and his crew.

“Mason?” Stephanie spoke with confusion, even stiffening a little with worry. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, nothing,” Manson smirked, which made Stephanie shudder slightly from the way he smiled. “Just saying hello to you.”

Stephanie’s nerves died down a little after Mason smirked, before feeling her waist grabbed.

“But, you sure would like a little ride, huh?” Without warning, Stephanie was lifted from the ground, causing her to yelp out of startlement.

She was soon pushed into an empty truck, causing her to collide into the bottom of it, getting into a position that made her feel stuck in it.

Mason and his group laughed as they ran away from the truck, causing Stephanie to mumble something in a different language.

As they walked away from the truck, Stephanie groaned a little in irritation as she mumbled underneath her breath, squirming in the cart a little to get some room inside.

But no matter how much she squirmed, Stephanie could not get herself out of the truck, nor rocking it either.

So Stephanie stopped after failing to get out of the truck, huffing with irritation as she crossed her arms over her chest, feeling a little annoyed and trapped.

Suddenly, two whistles went into the air, perking Stephanie’s attention up a little, not remembering those two whistles.

Where do they come from?

“Hey Bill.” a voice spoke as Stephanie went silent, worried about meeting another bully. “What’s this random truck doing here?”

“I don’t know, Ben.” a second voice answered, as Stephanie felt worried. “But let’s play a game called ‘Hide the Truck!’”

Stephanie felt confused about what would ‘Hide the Truck’ is about until she felt a gentle bump from the other side of the truck before starting to  _ feel the whole thing move. _

‘Oh, crap!’ Stephanie winced worriedly.

She tried squirming around to make the truck look unusually moveable, but it was difficult for her to move since the cart was narrower than the last one she was inside.

The adventure lasted until she heard the ocean, feeling confused about where she is now?

“Hey, what are you two doing with that truck?” a different voice asked, sounding different from the previous two she had heard.

A sudden and rough bump came from the back of the truck as Stephanie gave out a yelp in pain and startlement, softly wincing as she covered her head with her hands.

She hit her head against the wall after it was bashed into by something, causing it to move again.

This time, at a faster pace than slow and easy-going.

After the bump, Stephanie noticed that she could move after making herself small to get herself out of a tight situation, before seeing that she had entered a dark tunnel.

Stephanie instantly bolted upward after noticing that she had entered inside a tunnel, before exiting out of the tunnel and into a mist covered forest, disappearing into the fog.

Her nerves went back up as she went deeper and deeper into the mist before the truck bashed into a rock on the line.

The truck jolted after hitting the rock as Stephanie hit her head again and started to become derailed, causing her to cry out as she was launched out of the cart.

Stephanie went into a barrel roll as she went down the line for a short moment before finally coming to a stop.

The truck disappeared over the side of the hill, crashing into splinters onto the steep ground.

Stephanie groaned with pain as she felt her entire body in pain, rubbing her back with a hand to ease one of the bruises.

The air was slightly muggy and cold, causing her to shiver a little, moving her hands up to her forearms and rubbing them.

She looked around at her surroundings to see where she was now, only to discover that she was, in fact,  _ on Misty Island! _

“How did I get here from Sodor?!” Stephanie softly exclaimed, standing up to her feet quickly. “Wait, where the  _ tunnel?! _ ”

Stephanie turned around towards where she had come from but only whimpered when she noticed it was covered in mist.

No matter which direction Stephanie turned, each area was covered in mist and difficult for her to see.

Stephanie hissed softly at herself with fear, reaching over to her arm to scratch to calm her nerves down, but stopped herself from doing it, reminding herself that it would open one of the scars on it.

So, she instead headed into the mist, thinking it was the way to the tunnel to go back to Sodor.

* * *

Thomas entered the station after dropping off passengers and picking them up from the previous one.

Then, he noticed an anxious Sir Topham Hatt at the station, looking around like a bumblebee as if he had lost something.

“What’s wrong, Sir?” Thomas asked, cocking his body to the side a little. “Did you lose something?”

“No, I lost  _ someone _ , Thomas,” Sir Topham Hatt answered. “Have you seen Stephanie?”

“No, I haven’t,” Thomas answered. “I thought she was in the office with you, sir.”

“She wasn’t!” Sir Topham Hatt responded. “She excused herself out of my office, and I specifically told her to wait here until I was done.”

“Where is exactly ‘here?’” Thomas asked. “You didn’t tell her to sit on a bench or stand by your door, Sir.”

Sir Topham Hatt facepalmed himself after Thomas asked as Gordon came into the station, hearing parts of the conversation they were talking about.

“What is going on, Thomas?” Gordon asked.

“Sir Topham Hatt lost Stephanie again.” Thomas sighed. “Have you seen her, though?”

“I haven’t.” Gordon shook. “She wasn’t at any of the stations while I was doing the express.”

“Nor walking down the sidewalks,” Bertie added, coming to the station. “I think something did happen to her.”

From different stations, Thomas and any of the engines would ask anyone if they had seen Stephanie, giving them a description of her.

But they only receive either an ‘I don’t remember seeing her,’ and a shrug.

News of the missing Stephanie seemed to worry Smudger when Duncan asked one of the passengers, only to get a shrug in response.

So, almost all engines went all around Sodor to search for Stephanie after receiving the news.

They were worried about the state she was in and what her foster-father would think.

But all they did not know was that Stephanie was on an island hidden out of sight.

* * *

Meanwhile, Stephanie continued walking down the railway, feeling more and more nervous about being lost on Misty Island, knowing that the island is always hidden.

After a few hours of walking, Stephanie stopped as she panted, moving her head down and coughed a little, placing a hand against her flat chest, feeling one of her lungs hurting a little.

She had been walking for a long time, and there was still no sign of a brick tunnel, nor any engines either.

Stephanie moved back up after bending down to get a small break, looking up into the sky.

She noticed that the sky was in a bright blue color and had a few clouds in it, too.

She had been missing for at least two or three hours.

That thought seemed to worry Stephanie as she bit the bottom of her lip with her front teeth, feeling worried about getting herself missing for  _ years _ instead of hours or minutes.

Stephanie gently scratched at her wrist from the thought in her mind before shaking it out of her mind and went back to the subject of finding the tunnel, determined to go back to Sodor.

So Stephanie continued with her walk, heading deeper and deeper into the mist and the forest.

As she walked through the forest, Stephanie was interested in how beautifully red the wood was, including the grass growing and the gentle sounds of birds tweeting.

Stephanie stopped as she appeared in front of a fork in the railway, feeling more stressed as she looked at one of them, then the second in worry.

She does not know which one to take to go to the tunnel.

Stephanie scratched the back of her head worriedly, continuing to try to pick which line to take when she stopped thinking to herself.

From the soles to her feet, Stephanie could gently feel slight tremors coming from the railway.

It was indicating there was a  _ locomotive heading towards where she was. _

Was it Thomas, Gordon, or Winston?

Stephanie wanted to take a step forward and meet them to be back in comfort’s arms again, but only to stop when  _ two unfamiliar pairs of eyes appeared from the mist. _

This seemed to scare Stephanie when she saw the two pairs of eyes staring back at her from within the mist, causing her to scream in fear.

* * *

Meanwhile, at a logging site, a single locomotive was working there, pushing flatbeds of red wood into different sections, as there were two cranes.

One of them has the basis of an American Hoist and Derrick Steam Log Loader.

The second has the base of the Swansboro Land and Lumber Railroad’s steam donkey.

The locomotive working there was a Climax Class C logging locomotive and was painted teal with blue-gray lining. 

He has a semi-circular symbol depicting three yellow trees with two brown axes crossing each other on both sides of his cab and tender.

As he was working with the flatbeds of wood, he noticed that everything seemed a little  _ too _ quiet around, not like the ones he is used to.

As the mist lifted a little, two smaller locomotives came into view after he stopped moving the flatbeds around, seeing the two.

Their base was based on a Bear Harbor Lumber Company No. 1, and one of them has their boiler, wheels, and lining painted slate gray, and his cab and dome are painted amber.

The second’s boiler, wheels, and lining are painted amber, and his cab and dome are painted slate gray.

But they both have a semi-circular symbol depicting three yellow trees with two brown axes crossing each other on the right side of their cabs, almost like the other one.

“Where were you two?” he asked, as his voice has a southern accent. “I was workin’ all day here!”

The two engines glanced at each other after he asked before one of their drivers stepped out of their cab as he was wearing a red plaid shirt covered in soot, a pair of blue jeans, and black boots with gloves.

In his arms, he is carrying Stephanie!

She looked confused about the human holding her and looked like a scared little kitten discovered by a dog.

“Can we keep her?” they both asked, as he looked confused.

At first, she  _ did _ look cute from his perspective, but she looked terrified and confused, which seemed to make him feel worried.

“Where on earth did you two find her?” he asked, glancing at the twins.

“Just standing at the fork,” one of the twins answered.

“And with no one else with her!” the second finished.

A surprised expression appeared on his face after they answered, asking, “No adult?”

Slight confusion replaced their excitement, saying, “No.”

“We didn’t see an adult there.” the second added.

Instantly, a worried expression appeared on his face after they answered, saying, “Bash, Dash… She is a child.”

Bash and Dash, the twin locomotives, glanced at the driver holding Stephanie.

She was shaking like a leaf, her hands on her forearms as she was slightly curled.

“Oops.” they both blushed after he explained, glancing away as they gently rocked back and forth.

Did they take her away from her parents after discovering her near the fork in the tracks?

“Hey, kiddo?” he spoke, inching a little closer to Stephanie as she glanced over at him. “Sorry about Bash and Dash scarin’ ya. They were being a little rowdy for ya.”

“I-It’s fine.” Stephanie shivered, getting out of the driver’s arms as she stood, still shaking like a leaf and having her hands on her forearms. “They just startled me, that’s all.”

He smiled a little after Stephanie assured him, before she asked, “Although, I’m a little lost, do you know where the Misty Island’s Tunnel is?”

He blinked after she asked, as Bash asked, “Don’t you live here?”

“With your parents?” Dash finished, sounding as confused as Bash.

Stephanie turned around to them and answered, “No, I have no parents. Only a foster-father.”

That answer seemed to make the bigger engine’s smokebox drop to his wheels after hearing it, as the twins looked surprised too.

“‘No parents?’” he asked. “Then, where is your foster-father?”

“He-He’s back in America,” Stephanie shivered. “But, Sir Topham Hatt called him to let him know that I am here and is coming back to pick me up.”

A relieved sigh came from all three engines after she explained to them before Bash said, inching a little closer to her after his driver climbed back into his cab, “What is your name? I’m Bash.”

“I’m Dash,” Dash smiled.

“And I’m Ferdinand!” Ferdinand smiled at Stephanie as Stephanie seemed to warm up to him after being a little startled. “We’re the Logging Locos!”

With that, they whistled their whistles after introducing themselves, as Stephanie smiled warmly.

“Pl-Pleased to meet you,” Stephanie shuddered. “My na-name is Stephanie, Stephanie Allen.”

She paused after speaking, lifting her hands up and blowing into them as they were cupped, shivering.

“Are you,” Bash spoke, as Dash finished, “Cold?”

Stephanie nodded her head after they asked, hugging herself to keep some warmth to herself.

Ferdinand paused a little after she nodded her head before saying, “Why don’t you stay with me? My cab is warm enough and has enough room inside for two.”

Stephanie smiled and nodded her head as Ferdinand’s driver hopped out of his cab, picking her up in his arms.

“What should,” Dash spoke, as Bash finished, “Do with her Ferdinand?”

“Simple,” Ferdinand answered after they entered back into his cab. “Go to Misty Island’s Tunnel and find Sir Topham Hatt. He must be so agitated ‘bout her missin’, he’s eatin’ his hat.”

* * *

And sure enough, Sir Topham Hatt was eating, but it was not his hat, but some chocolate that he stashed for snacking on later.

He was rapidly chewing as he thought to himself about Stephanie, worried about what situation she was in now, and what would her foster-father think about his missing daughter?

Dowager Hatt entered his office and noticed Sir Topham Hatt and his unusually piled wrappers of chocolate next to him.

“Topham?” He nearly choked on a piece of chocolate after hearing Dowager Hatt’s voice, turning around to see her standing at the door, looking confused. “What on earth is going on and…”

Her voice drifted off when she noticed the pile of wrappers next to him, asking, “What are you stressed about?”

Sir Topham Hatt ducked his head down slightly after Dowager Hatt asked, mentioning to his pile of wrappers of chocolate, answering, “I lost Stephanie, Mum.”

“How on earth did you lose her?!” Dowager Hatt snapped, surprising and startling Sir Topham Hatt.

“I was distracted by my work!” Sir Topham Hatt exclaimed. “I didn’t specify where Stephanie could wait for me outside my office, and… well, she wandered off.”

Dowager Hatt groaned as she facepalmed herself before saying, with a hiss in her tone of voice, “You will be in so much trouble if we do not find her.”

A gut feeling was in his chocolate-filled stomach after hearing the hiss in Dowager Hatt’s tone of voice, knowing that he was in deep hot water.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Misty Island, Stephanie was hugging Ferdinand’s driver’s legs while inside his cab, feeling warm, but worried about what Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt would do if found.

“Hey, you’re awfully quiet,” Ferdinand spoke, snapping Stephanie out of her thoughts to him. “Is there somethin’ wrong?”

“Well,” Stephanie spoke as she hugged his driver’s legs. “I came here on accident.”

“How on accident?” Ferdinand asked, sounding confused.

“I was standing near one of the trucks at Knapford while waiting for Sir Topham Hatt to come out of his office to check on how things were going with other stations and have some conversations,” Stephanie explained. “But Mason and his friends came over to where I was and shoved me into a truck, which was too narrow for me to get out.”

Ferdinand slowly nodded as he listened to Stephanie’s words, along with Bash and Dash, as they were behind him, following him to Misty Island’s Tunnel.

“Two engines I don’t remember or see since I was stuck inside came over to where I was and decided to play a game called ‘Hide the Truck,” Stephanie continued. “Which brought the truck near where Rocky is and, well, came here and met Bash and Dash, by accident since they scared me.”

Bash and Dash blushed after hearing the conversation from Stephanie, remembering how terrified Stephanie was as Bash’s driver carried her into his cab.

“So that is how you came to Misty Island?” Ferdinand asked, cocking his body to the side a little.

“Yep.” Stephanie nodded, blushing a little with embarrassment. “How is Ryland?”

An excited expression appeared on Bash’s and Dash’s faces, as they both said, “He was very hard-working!”

“That’s right!” Ferdinand nodded. “He even was a quick learner after showing him how to work with He-Haw and Ol’Wheezy.”

Stephanie smiled after Ferdinand nodded in agreement before asking, “Where is Ryland now?”

“He’s delivering the Jobi wood to Brendam Docks,” Dash answered, as Bash finished, “I hope he doesn’t meet Casey Jones’ ghost.”

Stephanie felt confused after hearing the last line from Bash, asking, “Who’s ‘Casey Jones?’”

Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand paused after Stephanie asked, as Ferdinand answered, “Casey Jones is a famous locomotive driver.”

Stephanie’s curiosity perked as she listened to Ferdinand’s story about Casey Jones, moving a little closer to the door on the other side.

“He was a brave engineer!” Bash nodded as Dash added, “He even was the driver of the first Casey Jones, which shared the same name of.”

Stephanie remembered Casey Jones Jr, listening to the story about the famous engineer.

“It started on a night,” Ferdinand started, as they turned around the bend. “Casey Jones and his fireman, Sim Webb, were about to go to sleep when a call came from one of the stations.”

* * *

_ The engineer who was supposed to take the train on the southbound run was sick, and without having a second thought, Casey Jones himself told him he would take the man’s place. _

_ As tired as he was, Casey Jones just got dressed in his uniform and went to the station. _

_ Once he got there, he saw that Sim Webb was workin’ on the coal for the first Casey Jones, called ‘Casey Jones Sr,’ to not get mixed up with the two. _

_ Their task was to deliver mail, packages of freight, and passengers, and Stephanie, this is the sad part of the story of how both Casey Joneses have met their ends. _

_ As Casey Jones mounted the cabin and took the throttle in his hand, someone shouted, “Casey! You’re more than an hour and a half late!” _

_ But both Caseys just smiled and thought, ‘I guess that means we’ll have to just go a little faster.’ _

_ Casey opened the throttle, and they plunged into the dark, wet night with Sim Webb shoveling coal with all his might, making Casey Jones Sr go faster, and faster. _

_ “Casey!” Sim yelled at Casey Jones. “We’re runnin’ too fast!” _

_ But Casey Jones said, “Sim, don’t you fret! Keep knockin’ at the firedoor, and don’t give up yet!” _

_ And Casey Jones Sr added, “I’m gonna keep runnin’ until I leave the rail or make it on time with the southbound mail!” _

_ So they drove on, and Casey Jones Sr gained more speed until it was flyin’ faster than the speed of light. _

_ Then, Casey Jones Sr spoke, “I believe we’ll make it through. For I am a-steamin’ better than I ever knew!” _

_ They got the signal that the tracks were clear up ahead, so they were ‘highbailin’’ down the tracks, pushing over the boundaries to make himself go fast to save time. _

_ They were going so fast that it looked like they could save time! _

_ Just then, as they squealed around the corner through the darkness, Casey Sr sees a glow ahead of the tracks. _

_ They knew that the light wasn’t supposed to be there, not on the tracks, and at that moment, Casey Jones knew the same thing Casey Sr does. _

_ A broken-down freight train stuck on the track just ahead, and they were speedin’ straight towards it! _

_ Casey Jones pulled the brakes as hard as he could, as Casey Sr called to his fireman, “Jump, Sim!” _

_ But before Sim could jump, he asked Casey Jones, “Casey, you come on!” _

_ “Jump!” Casey Jones only shouted, and Sim did, jumping to the side as Casey Jones stayed with Casey Sr. _

_ They both knew that they needed to slow down in time before the disaster struck. _

_ So, Casey Jones pulled on the brakes as hard as he could as Casey Sr whistled his whistle to warn everyone else. _

_ Then, the crash happened! _

_ Casey Sr crashed into the second locomotive in a head-on collision, coming into a tangled mess, and fire went everywhere! _

_ When they found the body, he had one hand on the brakes and one on the whistle, as the locomotive, he was scrapped since he was beyond repair. _

_ Both did not survive the crash but rescued many people, including one that didn’t suspect the sudden collision. _

_ They saved all the passengers during that night, including their fireman, Sim. _

_ But, thanks to Sim Webb and the surviving locomotive, the story was told again and again. _

_ As for Casey Jones and Casey Sr? _

_ Well, they say if you were traveling alone at night during the week of the crash, you would encounter Casey Jones and Casey Sr’s ghosts, traveling through the starry night. _

* * *

Stephanie paused a little after hearing the story about Casey Jones and Casey Sr, thinking to herself about encountering the two.

But her mind was focused on the thought of how Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt react to seeing her again, thinking she was going to be in deep trouble.

Just as they entered Knapford, Ferdinand whistled his whistle at the office window as his driver stepped out of his cab, placing Stephanie down.

After whistling his whistle, the door opened, and out came some people Stephanie had not seen before.

When they noticed Stephanie, the first one tried going through the door to meet her, only to get the others struck as they struggled.

Stephanie did not laugh as she watched the group of people struggle a little before hearing something bump into each other and seeing the other engines coming into the station.

They bumped into each other and accidentally into Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand, as Casey Jr yelped and screeched to a halt, as Linus gently bumped into his back buffers without crashing.

‘Well, it  _ does _ seem like I am an accident magnet.’ Stephanie thought to herself sadly, ducking her head slightly with embarrassment and worry.

“Young lady!” Stephanie recoiled when she heard Dowager Hatt’s voice, gripping her sweater with both of her hands. “You almost gave us a heart attack! What should you say for yourself?”

Stephanie was about to speak after Dowager Hatt scolded, feeling  _ many _ angry glares at her back, before Ferdinand said, “May I speak?”

Her mind stopped after hearing Ferdinand speak, feeling worried about him getting snapped at more than her.

“It was an accident,” Bash spoke as Dash finished. “She was pushed into a truck,”

“And two twin engines came and took the truck into the Misty Island’s Tunnel.” Ferdinand nodded. “She said that it was Mason and his friends.”

“Them again?” Gordon fumed. “How disgraceful!”

Stephanie perked as she heard her story told by Ferdinand to them but was still worried about being punished for a little accident that had happened to her to cause a panic.

After the story finished, Stephanie had some bravery to ask, “A-Am I going to be punished?”

This seemed to confuse Dowager Hatt after she asked, responding with, “No, you’re not. It was an accident, nothing serious happened to you, and you were in safe hands with The Misty Island Logging Company.”

Stephanie sighed in relief after Dowager Hatt assured her but turned her attention to Sir Topham Hatt, “But as for you, Topham. You have to be more specific about telling Stephanie where to stay, and do not be distracted again.”

“Y-yes, Mother,” Sir Topham Hatt mumbled as Stephanie sighed in relief, releasing her sweater from her grip in her hands.

Moon knelt down to Stephanie’s height after sighing in relief, hugging her in a way that she is relieved that she is safe.

But from the darkness of the shade, a pair of pure white eyes watched the engines at the station, relieved for Stephanie’s safe return, before disappearing into thin air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	18. The Hauntings of Sodor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A haunting is happening on Sodor and... it is real.

After being found by the Logging Locos on Misty Island, everything was back to normal.

However, Stephanie was unexpectedly apologetic for her accident towards those people and engines for almost scaring them half to death.

Luckily, Sir Topham Hatt was patient with her and accepted her apologies, assuring her that nothing serious had happened to her and it was the Troublesome Trio’s fault.

The Troublesome Trio received a harsh scolding from Sir Topham Hatt and ‘promised’ to not do it again to Stephanie.

But after that, some  _ strange _ things started happening after Percy’s mail run during the night.

It was a moonlight night, and Percy went to collect the mail, with his trusty lamp and his driver and fireman.

So off Percy went, adventuring through the night and heading towards his destination to deliver the mail.

However, a few hours or more later, as everyone was getting ready to go to sleep, Percy suddenly zoomed back into Knapford without the mail train behind him, looking petrified and his paintwork as pale as his face.

He refused to leave his shed after running back, claiming that he had seen a ghost, obviously ignoring the groans from Gordon and James that ‘it was bedsheets.’

But in the morning, Thomas asked Percy the same question, wondering what he saw that night.

As Percy was doing an animal delivery, Thomas asked as he stopped at one of his stations with Annie and Clarabel behind him, “Percy? You said you saw a ghost last night. What was the ghost?”

Percy hesitated to tell Thomas, knowing that he was about to brush it off, thinking that it was his imagination, but he eventually answered, “It looked like Casey Jr.”

“What?!” Thomas and Percy watched some trucks pushed forward in a hard shove, seeing a surprised Casey Jr. “Me?! You saw a ghost lookin’ like me?”

He pointed to himself with a piston as the window of his cab opened a little, as his engineer poked her head out.

“Yes,” Percy nodded. “But you are painted dark blue and red, but this one was almost rusted and…”

Percy’s voice trailed off as he shivered, closing his eyes as his skin paled a little.

“What?” Thomas asked, sounding worried for his friend. “‘Rusted and’ what?”

Percy only continued to be silent after Thomas asked, moving away from him as he went to do his chores.

Casey Jr noticed the same thing, humming softly to himself as he placed a piston against his chin, looking to be in thought.

Soon, Casey Jr was in Knapford Shunting Yard, pushing trucks around a little slower than usual, looking to be deep in thought about something.

“ _ Hey, Casey? _ ” Moon spoke, poking her head out of the window of his cab. “ _ What’s wrong? _ ”

“It just somethin’ Percy said,” Casey Jr answered. “He said that the ghost he saw looked like me.”

Casey Jr paused after explaining what Percy said, asking, “Do you think he could’ve seen one of my brothers instead?”

That seemed to confuse her a little, pausing as she thought to herself about the question.

“Excuse me?” Casey Jr perked after hearing the voice, glancing around in confusion. “Over here, sir!”

Casey Jr followed the voice and came over to a brake van in the yard with Bradford, the previous brake van they almost accidentally shunted.

“Who’s this, Bradford?” Casey Jr politely asked, mentioning a piston to him.

“My name is Toad,” Toad, the brake van smiled politely. “We heard your conversation, mister.”

“Casey,” Casey Jr tipped his ‘hat’ to him. “Casey Jones Jr is my name. My driver’s name is Moon.”

Toad’s expression looked bewildered as Bradford said, “Well, Casey, did Percy finish his sentence about the ghost he had seen?”

“No, not really.” Casey shook his head as he scratched the side a little. “He only paled and went off to deliver Farmer McColl’s pigs.”

Bradford thought to himself after Casey Jr explained, as Toad asked, “Well, do you remember anyone that is related or is still alive?”

Casey Jr hummed to himself gently as he thought, scratching his cheek a little with his piston.

“Well,” Casey Jr explained. “I remember most of my brothers and sisters. I don’t remember much of them since so many years have passed, but I do remember my father.”

“Oh, the first Casey Jones?” Toad perked. “What was he like, Mr. Casey Jr?”

Chuckling, Casey Jr beamed as he explained, using his pistons to empathize with his words, “Oh, he was the best engine in the whole wide world! The folks back at home thought that my dad’s whistle was like magic! They said when he whistled his whistle, the babies would wake up from their naps, but wouldn’t cry.”

Bradford and Toad listened to Casey Jr’s story about his dad, feeling more curious.

“Instead, they would make the same noises as my dad would do,” he paused as he moved around a little, making little train sounds. “Then fall right back to sleep. Even when he blew his whistle with farm animals, cows would give an extra quart of milk, and the chickens would lay a least a dozen eggs each!”

A soft smile appeared on Casey Jr’s face, feeling already happy about his father.

“But whenever I heard my dad’s whistle, I thought, ‘That’s my dad!’” Casey Jr smiled, winking at them.

“What was his whistle like?” Toad curiously asked. “Does it look like yours?”

Casey Jr shook his head no and said, “His whistle was unique out of the others I have ever seen.”

With his pistons, Casey Jr placed them together, saying, “His whistle has all six thin tubes mended together to make a whistle, like this,”

Casey Jr whistled with his whistle to make his father’s whistle, sounding like a long-drawn-out note that softly rose and then died away to a whisper.

After that, Casey Jr added with a bell at the end, remembering his father’s trademark whistle and bell.

“That’s his whistle?” Bradford asked.

“Yep,” Casey Jr nodded until hearing a more  _ realistic _ one from a distance.

Bradford, Toad, Moon, and Casey Jr himself went silent as they listened to the realistic whistle, then a bell at the end.

Casey Jr’s face paled a little after hearing the whistle and bell, as Toad looked surprised as Bradford glanced around in case the engine responsible was coming.

After that, Toad was the first one to break the ice, asking, “Was  _ that _ from him or… one of your siblings?”

Casey Jr said nothing after hearing the whistle and bell, looking very petrified and shocked.

“Mr. Casey?” Toad spoke, noticing that he did not answer their question. “Mr. Casey? Are you alright?”

Casey Jr’s mind went back to reality after hearing Toad’s voice, shaking his head a little and stammered, still looking slightly pale, “Y-Yeah, I’m fine… I need a moment.”

Casey Jr went backwards and onto a turntable, as Bradford and Toad watched in confusion as he entered inside one of the Steam Team’s sheds.

Luckily, one of the workers there closed the shed’s doors after he entered inside.

“What’s wrong with Mr. Casey?” Toad curiously asked, glancing over at Bradford.

“That was not someone else.” Bradford shook, glancing back over to Toad. “I think it was one of his siblings.”

* * *

That night, Diesel was assigned to a job before heading to the sheds to sleep, which he wanted to do after a day of hard work, but begrudgingly, Diesel agreed.

So Diesel was coupled up to a long line of freight cars with the help of Paxton.

The weirdest part was that he did not see Casey Jr working in the yard like he used to.

He wonders what happened to him but shrugged to think that he must have been in his shed, sleeping after having a hard day of work.

After being coupled to the trucks behind him, Diesel went on his adventure, heading to the Mainland to drop the cargo off.

He grumbled along the way with irritation down the line.

Diesel wanted his chores completed already and go to sleep in his semi-warm shed.

The trucks giggled after noticing that Diesel was grumpy and was about to shake back and forth to annoy him further when a voice suddenly barked from behind, “I command you to stay still and don’t even think about shaking!”

Diesel yelped in startlement after hearing the voice barked, glancing around at the thought of meeting a  _ ghost _ , but paused a little when he noticed it was coming from the brake van.

“Er, excuse me?” Diesel called from behind. “Who’s coupled at the back?”

“That would be me!” the brake van called. “My name is Bradford!”

“How on earth did you get coupled behind?” Diesel asked in confusion.

“Must’ve been on accident,” Bradford sighed. “But, I was staying in the yard for a little too long. Maybe Samson must’ve forgotten about me. Can you drop me off at the Mainland’s yard?”

Diesel snarled a little to himself at the thought of having to deliver a brake van to a yard, but wanting it over, Diesel only responded with, as there was a groan in his voice, “Fine.”

So Diesel continued down the line, feeling grumpier than before but half relieved that the trucks were silent.

But knows that Bradford will be barking at  _ him _ at the little things that he does, mostly about being slow.

Unusually,  _ he _ was even silent, remembering some complaints from James that Samson was always barking at him or anyone else he is with, from going too slow to making some mistakes.

That seemed to confuse Diesel a little, about to ask the strange locomotive when he heard an unusual steam whistle.

The whistle sounded like a long-drawn-out note that softly rose and then died away to a whisper, adding with a bell at the end.

‘That sounds like Casey.’ Diesel thought to himself, huffing a little.

So he sped up a little to meet ‘Casey’ until he stopped at his thoughts, remembering that he did not see Casey in the yard, and his whistle did not sound like that.

Maybe he had an upgrade?

Diesel shrugged to himself and continued traveling down the line as Bradford thought to himself, remembering that same whistle and bell.

He soon entered a part of a forest and glanced around, seeing that everything looked a little scary, making him a little skittish.

“Hey,” one of the trucks giggled after being silent for a while. “It looks like Weasel is scared about something!”

Diesel frowned after the truck giggled, ready to use his brakes abruptly to silence the trucks behind him.

“Be quiet!” Bradford snapped behind the long line of trucks, silencing them.

After Bradford silenced them with his snap, Diesel continued going down the line until he noticed that there was an eerie glow at the end.

‘What’s that?’ Diesel thought to himself. ‘Does a brake van have a bright light?’

Deciding to get a better view of the eerie light, Diesel shakily called to the thing, “Who’s-Who’s there?”

No response from the mysterious light, but the same whistle and bell happened, a little louder and closer than before.

“Hey, that sounds like the Ghost of Sodor,” one of the trucks mumbled.

“I can’t be,” another whispered.

“What are you whispering at?” Bradford barked, covering his nervousness in his voice.

“Nothing!” the truck in front of him panicked.

Bradford cocked an eyebrow after the truck lied to him after he barked before noticing something in the corner of his eye.

There was a luminous silver glow in front of them, confusing Bradford when he noticed the strange light ahead.

“What’s that up there?” Diesel mumbled before honking his horn and moving forward.

The trucks nervously gulped as Diesel oiled up the mysterious engine, the light over his head shining down the tracks ahead of him.

“Oi, excuse me!” Diesel called to the bright light up ahead. “Who are you?”

As he got closer, Diesel was surprised to see that the engine looked like Casey Jr but taller than him, and the color scheme looked different.

It had the same blue color as Casey Jr, but the cab, the wheels, and some parts of the engine were painted red, including the lamp.

The tender is painted green and has no numbers on the sides.

Diesel looked confused for a moment when he noticed ‘Casey Jr’ but honked his horn again and oiled up closer to him.

“Oi,” Diesel spoke as he got closer to the engine as one of the trucks’ faces paled. “I’m talking to you!”

Bradford started at the back of the engine for a moment, wondering for a moment.

He remembered the words Percy had said after seeing the first Casey Jones Jr.

Then, Bradford glanced back over at the mysterious locomotive Diesel was coming over to.

It  _ fits the description. _

“Diesel, wait!” Bradford called. “Don’t-!”

But it was too late.

Diesel’s face, including paintwork, paled after coming closer to the engine when Diesel was up in front of the locomotive.

He noticed the engine had the same facial shape as Casey Jr, but the eyes were pure white, and when the moonlight hit that engine, it looked like it had been through a crash, with the boiler ripped open, and everything around it seemed to be opened wide.

But for the most part, what caused Diesel to panic was that the driver inside looked halfway crushed as a semi-boney, scarred hand reached up and pulled the string above him, whistling and ringing the bell at one of the switch stations.

Diesel screamed at the top of his lungs when he saw the ghost of the deceased engine, zooming away as fast as his wheels could take him, as Bradford saw what he saw, paling too.

One of the trucks’ faces turned green when it saw the engine, too.

He zoomed through the forest as fast as he could, as the trucks were panicking instead of giggling, saying, “Faster! Faster!”

Diesel did as they were told and went faster, before going into a siting and hid underneath a willow tree.

After Diesel hid, he watched the same semi-destroyed engine going by them, with the same dull expression on his face with pure white eyes.

It took no notice of Diesel hiding underneath the willow tree and disappeared into the distance as the whistle and bell went off again.

“Oh, my gosh!” Diesel exclaimed. “Percy was right the whole time!”

“That’s the Ghost of Sodor!” the trucks simultaneously spoke, startling Diesel a little.

“‘Th-The Ghost of Sodor?’” Bradford asked, stammering a little before pausing a little to get himself back together. “That ghost we saw is the legendary Ghost of Sodor?”

The trucks nodded after Bradford asked, looking as terrified as Diesel was.

“Well, we have to hurry!” Bradford spoke, sounding a little stern but shaken up from the encounter. “We need to get to the junction, drop the trucks off with me there, and no need to take me to the yard.”

“Agreed.” Diesel nodded shakily before honking his horn and starting to head off.

During that moment, one of the trucks behind Diesel sniffed.

“Do I smell… oil?” the truck slowly asked.

“Yep, that’s me soiling myself.” Diesel shamefully agreed as he went off.

Weirdly, the trucks did not laugh after Diesel confessed, as Bradford thought to himself about the sighting of the Ghost of Sodor.

* * *

That morning, the Steam Team woke up to see Diesel in the Knapford Shunting Yard, also looking pale as a sheet and looking like he did not sleep at all.

Bradford was almost there in the yard with Diesel, almost pale too.

“What happened to you two?” James asked as he cocked an eyebrow.

“Did you two saw the ghost?” Percy asked.

Diesel and Bradford silently nodded, answering Percy’s question.

Gordon and James groaned with annoyance as a massive and singular puff of steam puffed out of their funnels.

“Will you stop this nonsense?!” Gordon huffed. “There’s no such thing as ghosts.”

Diesel growled as he puffed some black clouds from his air vents as Gordon went onto the turntable.

“Fine, then don’t go crying to Sir Topham Hatt if you encounter the Ghost of Sodor at night,” Diesel growled.

Gordon and James glanced away from Diesel as they got ready to start the day, as Percy slowly came out of his shed.

“Since I have to do the night mail today, would you like my shed to stay inside after you finished your work?” Percy asked.

Diesel was surprised to hear that from Percy, blinking a few times.

“Your shed?” Diesel asked, exclaiming softly. “But isn’t it yours?!”

“Yes,” Percy nodded as he puffed out of his shed. “But it doesn’t matter if it is mine to stay inside. I allowed Philip to sleep inside at one point.”

Diesel looked taken aback when Percy mentioned Philip.

“But, since you have encountered the Ghost of Sodor, I’ll allow you and Bradford to stay in my shed.” Percy smiled.

“Me?!” Bradford exclaimed, also taken aback. “But, I-I have never been inside a shed before!”

“This is your first time then,” Percy smiled before whistling his whistle and puffing off, leaving a surprised Diesel and Bradford behind.

Eventually, they took the shed where Percy was inside, but Diesel did not have his head poked out and went further inside with Bradford behind him, letting the remaining workmen close the shed doors.

* * *

That next night, Gordon and James were both pulling empty coaches along the line, filled with emptiness.

James, on the other hand, looked unsure as he glanced around, as Gordon noticed.

“You’re starting to believe in that nonsense now?!” Gordon scoffed.

“Well,” James began. “You’ll never know if-”

His sentence was cut when he heard an odd whistle in the air, loud at first, before trailing off and whistling again before a bell rang at the end.

“What was that?” Gordon mumbled.

“Pretty unusual whistle, too,” James nodded in agreement.

Soon ahead of them was a luminous silver glow, confusing them.

“Spencer?” Gordon mumbled as he whistled his whistle and went forward.

James hesitated for a moment, but eventually whistled his whistle and followed Gordon.

When they were both close, they noticed the locomotive did not look like Spencer, but Casey Jr with almost the same paintwork as him.

“Casey?” James spoke. “What are you doing here? I thought you were back at-”

When the light of the lunar shone through the clouds, James’ and Gordon’s faces paled like Diesel’s, along with their paintwork.

They saw the same thing as Bradford, the trucks, and Diesel saw before.

The engine that looked like ‘Casey Jr,’ looked like a moving, zombified engine, with pure white eyes.

Not only that, but the same boney and scarred hand reached up from inside the cab, whistling the same whistle and ringing the bell.

Down the hill, Gordon and James screamed as they rushed down the tracks, running as fast as their wheels would take them.

The engine followed behind them slowly, as its expression was still dull, looking emotionless.

At Knapford, Diesel shunted Bradford into Percy’s shed from behind him.

Not only that, Diesel even shunted Toad in Percy’s shed, too, behind Bradford.

“I can’t believe Mr. Percy gave us his shed!” Toad remarked. “It’s strangely nice of him.”

“I agree,” Bradford nodded as Diesel entered inside backwards.

They heard panicked whistles from two engines, confusing him and the other brake vans behind him.

“What’s going on, Mr. Diesel?” Toad curiously asked, cocking his body to the side slightly to see what was going on from in front.

“I don’t know,” Diesel answered, nervously glancing around for something.

He moved forward to see what was going on when he saw Gordon and James zooming into Knapford without their coaches.

From the expressions on their faces and the pale color of their paintwork, Diesel could tell that they had seen the Ghost of Sodor.

He wanted to tease them of their findings, but an odd feeling inside him told him not to, but pity them for their judgments.

“Did you see the ghost?” Bradford asked, calling from behind Diesel, glancing over to the side too, looking slightly confused.

“Uh, we did not see it!” Gordon tried covering up as the table turned slowly. “It was just the… moonlight!”

But Diesel could tell they were terrified of the ghost engine, feeling more and more worried.

* * *

At the docks, Cranky, Carly, and Big Mickey finished unloading the cargo with the last ship at the port.

They were about to talk about their day when an almost familiar whistle went through the air.

It even had a bell at the end, confusing them as they stopped after placing the last cargo down.

“What was that?” Cranky asked, turning towards where the noise came from.

“Sounds almost like Casey,” Salty added. “But wasn’t he supposed t’ be already finished wit’ his work?”

“Unless Henry might be getting fixed again?” Porter suggested.

The cranes looked at each other after Porter suggested, before seeing an engine enter inside the docks.

It looked like Casey Jones Jr but painted differently.

“Ahoy thar!” Salty greeted him as he moved closer to the engine. “Wha’ would be yer-!”

He stopped when the moonlight hit the engine, revealing his damaged body and pupilless eyes.

Salty and Porter went backwards after seeing the engine coming into the docks, hiding underneath a cover.

The cranes went stiff when they all saw the engine, too, their paint color paling slightly.

Soon, the cab’s door opened, and a figure stepped out, pushing its hat up slightly from its head.

The ghostly driver has short brown hair from underneath his cap and fair skin.

He sported a light blue cap with dark blue overalls with a pocket on the front and a long-sleeved sky blue shirt underneath.

Topping things off, he is wearing a pair of dark brown boots and black gloves on his hands.

His skin looked pale, and he also had no pupils in his eyes, as some parts of his body looked destroyed and a faint smell of fire and melted iron came off him.

The workmen were also hiding as some of them paled when they saw the ghostly engineer step out from the destroyed engine, glancing around.

He walked around for a moment to look for something, not minding the stares and pale faces from the engines and workmen.

After having a second glance around, the ghostly engineer went back inside the semi-destroyed cab, and the whistle came again with the bell at the end, before disappearing.

“H-Holy-” stammered Porter.

“That’s a ghost engine!” Cranky exclaimed.

“With an engineer!” added Carly.

Every workman poked out after the ghost had disappeared, glancing at each other for a moment.

None of them wanted to stay any longer on the docks with that spirit around.

* * *

Soon, almost every engine there saw the Ghost of Sodor, along with the ghostly engineer.

Some were terrified to death of the appearance as others refused to leave their sheds at night.

They did not want to encounter it or get dragged to death.

Stephanie understands Sir Topham Hatt’s frustration with the supposedly ‘Ghost of Sodor’ and the terrifying engines refusing to work at night.

She thought about it during the week, thinking to herself about what is going on around Sodor.

She heard almost every engine they had seen, all except Casey Jr himself.

So, that night, Stephanie decided to find out what the phantom was by herself.

Little did she know, the engines held up a meeting to discuss the ghost encounters in Knapford, wanting to figure out what to do with their ‘ghostly’ problem.

“We have to do something about this ghost,” Bradford spoke.

“A agree,” nodded Donald. “It makes me wheels quiver at the thoucht o’ seein’ thon chost takin’ someone’s life.”

“Stop making it worse!” Diesel groaned. “I had enough of listening to what ghosts do.”

Sighing, Bradford turned his attention to Casey Jr, who looked a little nervous as Moon stood next to him.

“ _ Listen, it may sound strange, _ ” Moon spoke. “ _ But, why would this ghost be out in the nighttime, looking for something and looking like a zombie? _ ”

All the engines, brake vans, and vehicles shuddered at the image of the Ghost of Sodor, remembering seeing the appearance of the ghost and the poor engineer.

Then Sir Topham Hatt arrived at the shunting yard in Knapford, looking confused about the large group of engines.

“What is everybody doing here?!” he exclaimed. “Cranky and the other cranes at the docks are busy looking for Porter and Salty, and most importantly, do any of you know where Stephanie is again?”

The group’s expressions turned from worry to shock as they glanced at each other.

“Stephanie’s missing?” Edward asked as he glanced over at Sir Topham Hatt. “Do you remember where she is?”

“That’s the exact question I was asking,” Sir Topham Hatt sighed as he placed a hand on his temple. “Does anyone know where Stephanie was?”

Everyone, including Moon, the drivers, and fireman, shrugged their shoulders as the machines responded to Sir Topham Hatt with “I don’t know,” “She didn’t tell me,” “Was someone else with her?”

Then, a whistle took everyone by surprise, glancing over, and noticed that it was a truck.

“I saw the walking blueberry going somewhere,” the truck teased lightly.

“‘Walking blueberry?’” Percy repeated with confusion, cocking an eyebrow.

“He’s meaning to Stephanie,” Diesel responded with a slightly irritated tone in his voice before turning his attention to the truck. “Where did you see her last?”

“She was walking somewhere around where there was a path that leads around a mountain and to the abandoned Sodor’s Fishing Grounds.” the truck answered, shaking its body a little.

“That’s where I usually go past,” Oliver spoke. “It has been closed for a long time!”

“An’ where it is headin’ tae!” Donald panicked. “Me an’ Dougie were the last ones thon wis headin’ throuch thon line ower!”

Everyone panicked and started moving backwards to get out of Knapford, as one by one went on the turntable to turn around.

Thomas allowed Sir Topham Hatt to board him and leave with the others, as Percy was coupled to the truck that told them of where Stephanie was the last time he had seen her.

In case they were going the right way to follow Stephanie of where she was going.

But Casey Jr. was being a little slower than the others, looking more worried than ever before without Moon noticing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Stephanie was sitting on top of an empty crate as she had her hood up over her head to warm her ears from being cold.

Since she had finally reached the abandoned Sodor’s Fishing Grounds, it was near the ocean side and freezing for her, even at night.

Suddenly, she heard the same whistle was loud in the beginning, before trailing off and returning, before adding a bell at the end.

Stephanie glanced up and noticed the semi-destroyed ghostly engine as it stopped on the tracks.

It glanced around the fishing ground with a slightly dull expression on its face before sighing.

Stephanie stood up from the crate and slowly walked up to the engine before clearing her throat.

“Excuse me?” Stephanie pardoned herself towards the ghostly engine. “Uh, is there something wrong, or are you looking for something that you forgot?”

The ghostly engine perked after she pardoned herself and glanced over at her, noticing Stephanie standing right near him, looking curious as she had her hands together.

Mostly to keep the heat in them since it was cold.

“ _ Oh, _ ” the ghost finally spoke, turning slightly towards her. “ _ Hello there. _ ”

Since he was made like Casey Jr, he was flexible all over his body.

He placed an injured piston against the ground as he got comfortable as the ghostly driver stepped out of his half smashed cab.

“ _ What are you doin’ here, little missy? _ ” the ghostly engineer asked, kneeling to her height.

A light smell of soot came off from him, along with melted metal and oil.

“I came here to find you two,” Stephanie calmly answered. “I’ve heard rumors from the engines on Sodor.”

“ _ Ah, of course, _ ” the broken steam engine sighed, glancing away from her. “ _ It’s always those rumors that scare everyone away… _ ”

Stephanie smiled reassuringly and said, taking a step closer to them, “I don’t think any of the rumors are true, but is the story true?”

They both nodded in agreement, looking down at their feet or buffers, looking slightly ashamed of themselves.

“ _ Yep, _ ” sighed the engineer. “ _ That’s true. _ ”

The steam engine shuddered softly to himself before a wheel popped off from him.

“ _ Oh, gosh darn it. _ ” He reached behind with his piston to get the wheel before the ghostly engine stood back up as some bones inside him cracked slightly, causing him to hiss softly in pain.

Another snap went through the air, and the engine yelped, moving his piston behind and feeling a new crack on his boiler.

“ _ It seems like I’m gettin’ too old for this, _ ” the steam engine chuckled.

“ _ You’re gettin’ old? _ ” chuckled the engine as he glanced over at him. “ _ My bones are actin’ like popcorn in a heated kettle! _ ”

Stephanie softly giggled after they joked about themselves before walking over the wheel that popped off and picking it up from the ground.

“Here you go,” Stephanie smiled at the elderly engineer. “You might need this.”

The engineer smiled after Stephanie handed him the cog that Casey Sr dropped, taking it from her and placing it back to where it had popped out before.

“Um, I didn’t get your names,” Stephanie innocently spoke, moving her hands behind her back. “My name is Stephanie, Stephanie Allen.”

The engineer glanced over to Stephanie and responded, tipping his hat towards her, “ _ The name’s Casey, Casey Jones! _ ”

The locomotive did the same thing to Stephanie, responding with, “ _ And my name is Casey Jones Sr! _ ”

Stephanie gently giggled after introducing themselves to her before slowly noticing the familiarities to the name ‘Casey Jones.’

“Hey, do any of you two remember Casey Jones Jr?” Stephanie politely asked.

Immediately, a hand wrapped around her middle and gently yanked her backwards before being placed in front of the broken steam engine.

“ _ Johnny? _ ” the engine asked as Stephanie looked slightly confused and startled. “ _ Johnathan Luther Jones Junior is still alive?! _ ”

Stephanie looked confused for a moment before answering, “Yes, he is. I found him in a shed alongside a robot named Moon.”

He sighed in relief as he placed Stephanie back down on the ground as she rearranged some of her clothes back into place.

“ _ I’m relieved that he is still alive! _ ” he sighed. “ _ I thought he was going to be scrapped if he was found! _ ”

Stephanie looked confused for a moment after he sighed and asked, “Were you looking for him?”

He glanced back down at Stephanie and nodded.

“ _ Yes, _ ” Casey Sr sighed. “ _ I’ve been lookin’ for him all these years to tell him somethin’ that I have. But, it seemed like every engine around here is scared ‘bout my appearance. _ ”

Stephanie paused a little after Casey Sr explained, thinking to herself for a moment about what to do to help them both meet Casey Jr without freaking out everyone else.

Then, an idea popped into her head, saying, “I got an idea!”

Casey Jones and Casey Sr glanced over at Stephanie with confused expressions on their faces, asking, “ _ What’s the idea? _ ”

“I know they are going to look for me here since I have a bad habit of venturing without an adult’s permission,” Stephanie explained as she blushed sheepishly. “So, if we go after them instead, we can meet up with the others!”

“ _ What are you, crazy? _ ” Casey Jones shrugged his shoulders with a huff. “ _ We can’t appear in front of them lookin’ like this! They’ll freak out the second they make eye contact with us! _ ”

Stephanie paused a little after Casey Jones shrugged and mentioned himself with his hands, thinking to herself for a moment to help them.

“What if we can trick them into going to the Dieselworks?” Stephanie suggested. “There, I can close the doors after the last one is inside, and you’ll do the talking with Casey Jr!”

Casey Jones and Casey Sr paused to themselves after Stephanie suggested again, before nodding their heads, saying, “ _ Alright, but you have to lead us to the Dieselworks. _ ”

Stephanie nodded her head and followed Casey Jones to Casey Sr’s cab, stepping in with the help of him.

Once she was inside with him, Stephanie noticed it had been dented around a little since the crash in the nineteenth century but still looked the same as Casey Jr’s mechanisms.

Pushing her glasses into place, Stephanie hugged Casey Jones’s legs if she accidentally fell out of Casey Sr’s cab as he went to work.

Since Sim Webb is not with him after rescuing him from crashing, it looks a little hard for him to start Casey Sr up.

But he surprisingly manages to do it without his trusty fireman by his side.

Stephanie stayed where she was as she hugged Casey Jones’ legs, watching as they puffed down the line.

Half of her was worried about their reactions to seeing her with the ghost of Casey Jones.

But her other half was also worried about being grounded or punished.

* * *

Meanwhile, everyone was going down the line to look for Stephanie, worried about encountering the Ghost of Sodor or seeing her in more danger.

Deep within the forest, as they turned around the corner, a single red eye was watching them go down the line before heading up Gordon’s Hill.

A chuckle came from the figure that was watching them as it disappeared into thin air.

As Casey Jr followed them while going down Gordon’s Hill, something seemed to happen with his brakes as Moon tried slowing down, seeing that  _ it had become stuck! _

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Casey Jr shrieked in fear, trying to slow down with his pistons. “What’s happenin’?!”

“ _ I don’t know! _ ” Moon called. “ _ Your brakes aren’t working! _ ”

Casey Jr panicked as he came close to Gordon’s tender’s buffers, exclaiming, “Gordon! Watch out!”

Gordon quickly switched to a different track after hearing Casey Jr’s panicked whistle and the ringing of his bell, watching him go down at an out of control speed.

Linus noticed the problem and sped after Casey Jr to rescue him from crashing, as Henry shoveled coal into his firebox.

* * *

With Casey Jones, Casey Sr, and Stephanie, they all heard Casey Jr’s panicked whistling and bell on the other side of the forest, as Stephanie exclaimed, “That’s his whistle and bell!”

Stephanie yelped when Casey Sr suddenly picked up speed, causing her to grip the side of the door of the cab, her hair whipping back in the air.

“ _ He sounds like he is in trouble! _ ” Casey Sr panicked. “ _ We have to get there! _ ”

So Casey Sr continued speeding up to Gordon’s speed, chasing after the panicked whistling and bell were coming from.

* * *

Meanwhile, Casey Jr continued to try to stop himself from crashing into anything, using his pistons on the ground as they scraped against the earth, as Moon continued struggling with the brakes.

She clicked them back and forth repeatedly, even trying to shut off steam that kept Casey Jr going, but it was stuck too!

Behind them, Linus sped after Casey Jr to rescue him from danger as Henry continued shoveling coal into his firebox.

When they were close enough, Linus tried reaching for the coupling link to stop Casey Jr from continuing to pick up speed, missing a few times.

Linus huffed as his cheeks were red as he went back a second time, using his pistons to get the coupling line.

But he missed it again!

Linus huffed and sped up again after slowing down a little to try again, before feeling something  _ moving _ from the right-hand side of him.

When he glanced over to see who it was, he was surprised to notice that it was Henry, climbing on him to his front buffers.

He had his hat off and was carefully climbing around Linus’ body towards his buffers before mentioning to Casey Jr’s tender’s coupling link and his as if he was telling Linus that he can help Linus reach the coupling link.

Linus nodded his head and picked up more speed towards Casey Jr, inching himself closer to Casey Jr as he struggled to stop himself with his pistons.

He used his pistons to keep Henry on his buffers from accidentally falling off, watching as he moved forward and reached towards the coupling link, missing a few times before stretching again.

Linus bit the bottom of his lip nervously as he watched his engineer struggle to get the coupling link in his fingers or hand before an idea popped in his funnel.

Lifting Henry off his buffers a little, Linus stretched his pistons out a little for Henry to reach one more time before finally grabbing Casey Jr’s coupling link.

After grabbing his coupling link, they jolted when they heard a six-toned whistle and a bell at the end from ahead of them.

_ Another engine was heading towards them ahead of them! _

With no time to lose, Linus carefully pulled Henry forward with his pistons and watched as he connected him to Casey Jr, before carefully moving from him to Casey Jr’s cab.

So Linus pulled on his brakes, tugging Casey Jr backwards to slow him down.

As soon as Henry entered Casey Jr’s cab to help Moon with the brakes, Casey Sr appeared in front and stopped in front, wincing a little as he had his pistons up, waiting for the crash.

It happened, and small sparks flew everywhere, causing Stephanie to be tossed forward from hugging Casey Jones’s legs.

Casey Jones luckily caught Stephanie before any harm came to her, as Moon and Henry bounced back from the crash as Linus went into Casey Jr’s tender from behind.

Casey Sr kept his brakes on hard as he went back down the rails with a hard screeching noise, slowing Casey Jr down from picking up speed.

It lasted for a few minutes before finally coming to a stop, as steam came from Casey Sr’s, Casey Jr’s, and Linus’ wheels.

“ _ Oh, my- _ ” Casey Sr softly exclaimed as he reached up to his son’s face with his pistons. “ _ Are you alright, Johnny?! _ ”

“I-I’m fine,” Casey Jr stammered, sounding a little shaken up. “Just a little…”

His voice trailed off when he realized the speech and came face-to-face with the ghost of his  _ father. _

Henry and Moon stepped out of Casey Jr’s cab a little shakily, as Henry collapsed on the ground from the overwhelming fear of crashing, as Moon helped him back up to his feet.

“Are you alright, Casey?” Linus asked, moving from one line to another without having to use a switchman to help. “Who… stopped you…?”

Linus noticed Casey Sr, as Casey Jones stepped out of his cab, holding a very surprised and a little shaken up Stephanie, giving her to a shocked Moon.

“ _ Sorry for scarin’ you all like that, _ ” Casey Jones apologized with a light blush on his cheeks. “ _ We mean no harm to everyone else. We only wanted to talk to Johnny here. _ ”

Casey Jr’s perked after hearing Casey Jones’ explanation before Casey Sr took his ‘hat’ off and held it in his pistons, with a sad expression on his face.

“ _ I’m sorry that you have to live without me, _ ” Casey Sr apologized. “ _ I was only tryin’ to save up some time to deliver the mail, the cargo, and the passengers to their stations… I guess I went a little too fast to slow down and understand what was about to happen next. I know you are angry at me for that. _ ”

“No, Dad,” Casey Jr spoke, surprising Casey Sr. “It was no one’s fault, and I am not angry at you. You were tryin’ to do your job, but you saved everyone’s lives!”

Casey Sr paused after Casey Jr explained, glancing down at his ‘hat’ in thought, remembering his bravery along with Casey Jones.

“And,” Casey Jr softly smiled as he reached over to Casey Sr with his pistons, wrapping them around Casey Sr’s neck. “I miss you so much.”

A soft, surprised expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after Casey Jr spoke, only staying quiet as she listened to their conversation.

Casey Sr went silent after Casey Jr hugged him before starting to cry softly, wrapping his pistons around Casey Jr’s neck in return, dropping his ‘hat’ in the process.

A soft smile was on Linus’ face after they hugged, before noticing Casey Jones walking up to him and Henry, placing his hands on his hips.

“ _ I reckon you both have our old line? _ ” Casey Jones asked.

“Yes, sir,” Linus nodded his head, sounding a little confused.

Casey Jones placed a hand on Henry’s shoulder, saying, “ _ Take care of our line with Casey Jr, and take it with pride! _ ”

Linus smiled and nodded as he hugged Henry with his pistons, as Casey Jones released his shoulder as Linus hugged Henry.

After that, Casey Jones and Casey Sr disappeared into thin air as Casey Jr’s pistons moved away, watching the sunrise over the horizon.

As Casey Jr and Linus went to check for injury and a new change of wheels after they were grinding against the rails, Stephanie stopped when something glittered against her eye from the rising sun.

Stephanie turned around and followed where the glinting was, kneeling down near one of the rails and looking at what it was.

She used her hands to dig into the dirt a little before taking out a necklace near the railroad.

To her confusion, it looked almost like hers, except the pendant was replaced with a whistle.

It was a conductor’s whistle!

Stephanie smiled a little after noticing the old conductor’s whistle in her hand before turning around to follow Sir Topham Hatt to head back home.

She stopped mid-turn when she saw something red with silver staring at her, glancing back at where she saw it was before, only to see nothing there.

“Stephanie?” Sir Topham Hatt called. “Are you coming?”

Stephanie glanced over at Sir Topham Hatt after he called, looking over to the forest once before turning around and, responded to him, “Coming!”

So Stephanie ran over to Sir Topham Hatt and climbed into Thomas’s cab, heading back to the sheds to get some rest there.

Once Sir Topham Hatt, Stephanie, and Thomas were gone, an engine reappeared from the forest after disappearing with a single red eye and a metal mask.

They watched the little blue tank engine puff down the line and over Gordon’s Hill before disappearing again into thin air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	19. Darkness Within Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie decided to visit some of her friends she recently found after the ghostly encounter, thinking that it was all over... but she was wrong when she learned that there was more...

Later that weekend, Stephanie decided to check on Smudger, Ryland, and Damien to see how they are doing with their new jobs.

But, rather than going on her own to venture across the islands, Stephanie decided to take the chance of asking permission from Sir Topham Hatt.

When they were in his office, Stephanie hesitated for a moment about asking him to check on them, thinking that she could be yelled at, but, gathering her courage, Stephanie walked up to the side of Sir Topham Hatt’s desk.

“Sir?” Stephanie politely asked, moving her hands behind her back.

“Yes, Stephanie?” Sir Topham Hatt glanced up from the paperwork he was working on after Stephanie spoke as she paused a little.

“Uh, I want to check on Smudger, Ryland, and Damien,” Stephanie asked, blushing a little with sheepishness. “It’s been a while since I have checked on them after meeting the ghost of Casey Sr and Casey Jones. Do you mind?”

Sir Topham Hatt paused a little after Stephanie asked, thinking to himself about her request, before answering, “Of course you may, but don’t be late for lunchtime.”

Stephanie nodded her head after Sir Topham Hatt answered and, to his surprise, hugged him around the middle the best she could.

Funnily, her arms could not fully wrap around his middle, so it was cute in a way.

“Thank you, Sir!” Stephanie beamed as Sir Topham Hatt returned a hug to Stephanie.

She released her hug around Sir Topham Hatt and turned to exit out of his office, saying, “I’ll be back at lunchtime!”

After that, Stephanie exited Sir Topham Hatt’s office, stepping onto the platform to wait for someone to help her around without having to walk all the time.

While waiting, she thought to herself about where she is going to go first?

Should she go to the Skarloey Railway where Smudger works at?

The Ironworks where Damien works with the twins?

Or Misty Island to meet with Ferdinand, Bash, and Dash?

Stephanie spent a minute thinking about her choices of which way she wanted to go, knowing that it would take a long time to return in time for lunch.

So, Stephanie decided to split her time right for the meetings.

She would first go to meet Damien at the Ironworks with ‘Arry and Bert.

She remembers where the Ironworks was, but half of her was confused about why most of the locomotives avoid it as if it was a plague.

Why would none of the engines be brave enough to go there by themselves?

Maybe it was haunted there that she does not remember?

Or… was it something else?

Stephanie’s nerves got back to her of her decision about going to the Ironworks to see Damien as she put her long brown hair up in a low ponytail to make sure it would not catch on fire on accident.

But she shrugged her thoughts off her mind after pausing a little to think to herself.

Stephanie glanced around for someone to come over to her at the station, waiting patiently.

Soon, Diesel oiled over and noticed Stephanie waiting, stopping next to her with a slightly confused expression on his face.

“What are you doing here, Stephanie?” Diesel asked, cocking a little to the side. “I thought you were with Sir Topham Hatt.”

“I was,” Stephanie nodded her head. “But I wanted to check on Smudger, Ryland, and Damien. Do you mind taking me to the Ironworks to check on Damien first?”

Diesel paused a little after Stephanie politely asked, blinking a few times, before asking, “Are you sure you wanted to go to the Ironworks? It’s hot there and…”

Diesel’s voice trailed off a little before he could continue his sentence, unsure about what else he was about to say to Stephanie, feeling like her innocence would be crushed.

“Diesel?” Diesel glanced up at Stephanie, noticing that she looked confused and concerned. “What’s wrong?”

A pause came from Diesel after Stephanie asked, before shaking a little, and answered, “No, there is nothing wrong. Come on board. I’ll take you to the Ironworks.”

Diesel’s cab door was opened and revealed to be his driver, with jet-black hair, cold ice-blue eyes, and fair skin.

He noticed Stephanie and knelt down a little to her height, gently picking her up from the ground underneath her armpits as she lifted them up in time for him to place his hands underneath.

Diesel’s driver picked Stephanie up and stepped back into Diesel’s cab, as the door closed behind her.

Since it was very different from a steam engine’s cab, Stephanie noticed that there were not many controllers inside, along with pipes, steam valves, and other mechanisms.

“Whoa,” Stephanie remarked as Diesel’s driver placed her down on the ground. “Is this the inside of a diesel?”

“Yep,” Diesel’s driver nodded. “Don’t touch anything, okay?”

Stephanie nodded her head after Diesel’s driver spoke to her before asking, “Do you mind if I hold your leg?”

Diesel’s driver paused a little after Stephanie asked before shrugging his shoulder a bit as if he was saying, ‘Sure, go ahead.’

So Stephanie wrapped her arms around Diesel’s driver’s leg, holding it in case she accidentally got tossed forward or backwards or out of Diesel’s cab.

After Stephanie wrapped her arms around Diesel’s driver’s leg, she watched as he pulled a lever that is for Diesel’s horn, as he honked twice before starting Diesel up and starting moving forward.

It was much quicker than a steam engine’s speed, without having to shovel coal into a furnace or having to wait for the fire to start.

But no matter how amusing it was, Stephanie liked both operations on steam engines and diesels, thinking that both are incredible machines.

The ride to the Ironworks was fast but unusual, without having to stop every time to refill their coal tenders or their water tanks to keep on moving forward.

‘Maybe because Diesel runs on diesel oil instead of fire, coal, and water,’ Stephanie remarked to herself, smiling a little as she continued holding Diesel’s driver’s leg.

Once Diesel reached the Ironworks, he slowed down for a little while before entering, glancing over at the rusted remains and faceless engines.

They are either from a steam locomotive or a diesel, including cars and other pieces of scrap.

Many piles of rusted remains surround the Ironworks, as some look less than others.

Most of the locomotives looked as if they were destroyed from a crash or almost rusted and cracked.

All this appearance of ‘dead’ locomotives makes Diesel’s metal body shudder as he stops at the entrance.

“Diesel?” Diesel glanced back over at his cab, hearing Stephanie’s confused tone in her voice. “Are we there yet?”

Diesel paused a little after Stephanie asked before responding, “Yes, we are. …Don’t panic, okay?”

He stopped at the doors of the Ironworks, honking twice as some smoke came out of air vents on his sides.

The door of his cab opened, and his driver placed Stephanie down on the ground carefully.

“Panic about… what…?” Stephanie saw the empty remains of machines, including steam engines, which made her heart sink.

Diesel noticed the change of Stephanie’s expression a little before she glanced over at Diesel, asking, “Is this why no one wants to come here? Is it because Ironworks is a graveyard?”

This seemed to surprise Diesel a little from Stephanie’s questions, before his driver answered bluntly, “Yes, don’t you know the term ‘Iron’ in Ironworks, Stephanie? It means that when an engine gets too old, it gets destroyed or out of date-”

“They are brought here and scrapped to be reused as something else,” Stephanie finished, ducking her head a little low. “I know. I went to an ironworks before.”

That seemed to make both Diesel and his driver feel a little suspicious, not only from the tone in her voice about being in an engine’s graveyard but looking like she is feeling something… familiar.

She hugged her chest a little with her arms as her hands were on her forearms, looking slightly sad as she stared down at the ground away from Diesel’s and Diesel’s driver’s sight.

Two diesel locomotive horns went through the air after Diesel honked, revealing to be twins.

Stephanie perked when she noticed ‘Arry and Bert coming out of the Ironworks, changing her personality from being slightly sad to being herself.

“Hi ‘Arry! Hi Bert!” Stephanie greeted as Diesel glared at his driver, blowing black smoke in his face as he was near his air vents. “Can I ask a question?”

‘Arry and Bert looked confused when they noticed Stephanie standing in front of the Ironworks, glancing at each other with confusion, before Bert answered, “Sure, what’s the question?”

“Do you know where Damien is?” Stephanie asked as Diesel’s driver’s face was covered in black smoke, coughing a little as Diesel glanced back over at ‘Arry and Bert.

“Damien’s inside,” ‘Arry answered, nodding his body over as he mentioned. “But, are you sure you wanted to go inside? I’m not too sure for a little girl like you goin’ inside to see all  _ this _ in there.”

Stephanie paused a little after ‘Arry answered before saying, “I’ve been to a junkyard before, so… I can handle it. …Can one of you be by my side in case?”

‘Arry and Bert glanced at each other after Stephanie asked, before ‘Arry said, “I’ll take ya in to meet him, just be careful with him. He’s a little… tough.”

He honked his horn and entered the Ironworks, as Bert stayed outside, watching Stephanie walk into the Ironworks, following after ‘Arry.

Once Stephanie was deep inside with all the noises, Diesel cleared his throat, and Bert glanced over at him.

“What?” Bert asked, sounding confused. “Is there somethin’ you wanna say?”

“Yes, there is.” Diesel huffed. “I want to have a private conversation with you and ‘Arry when he comes back over here after meeting Damien.”

Bert looked a little confused after Diesel huffed before shrugging it off, deciding to wait and see once his twin brother comes back.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the Ironworks, Stephanie was wincing from all the noises coming from inside. 

Flamethrowers were going off, the sounds of saws cutting through metal, and there was a strong smell of iron through the air.

‘Arry paused when he noticed Stephanie wincing from the noises around her before covering her ears with her hands when a loud noise screeched through the air.

He went back over to Stephanie after watching her cover her ears with her hands, thinking of how he can help Stephanie find Damien.

“Hey, Steph?” ‘Arry spoke, as she glanced up at him, looking confused. “Why don’t you climb onto my buffers? It’s easier to follow me instead of being stuck back.”

Stephanie could not hear most of his sentence since the Ironworks was louder than what she was suspecting, but understood most of it to piece together ‘on’ and ‘buffers.’

So, Stephanie climbed onto his front buffers and got close to his face, so she would not accidentally fall off.

Once she was on his buffers, ‘Arry honked his horn twice as Stephanie jolted a little from his horn as he mumbled, “Sorry.” and started with going back into the Ironworks.

Stephanie heard his apology and hand-signed language with her hands, ‘It’s okay.’ with her hands to him to let him know she accepts it, confusing him a little with what she said, but shrugged, figured that it means something else.

Once he reached the turntable, ‘Arry slowly turned around to go through the Ironworks to look for Damien, until he came across a large steam locomotive with a metal mask on his face, causing him to yelp in startlement, jolting a few feet off the rails.

“Oh, Damien!” ‘Arry yelped, squeaking a little like a mouse, before clearing his throat and blushing from his startlement, hoping that the noises muffled his yelp and squeal. “I didn’t see ya there!”

Damien said none after ‘Arry yelped before his eyes drifted to Stephanie as she hopped down from his buffers onto the tracks.

“Oh, Stephanie wanted to see how you are doin’!” ‘Arry gulped a little. “See you soon, bye!”

With that, ‘Arry oiled backwards as fast as he could, as Stephanie did not notice that he had left her alone in the Ironworks with Damien.

Stephanie gently smiled as she stared up at Damien and was about to speak when she noticed that the noises could silence her voice.

So, she instead used hand sign language with her hands, signing: ‘Hello Damien! How are you?’

Damien’s eyes from underneath his mask widened a little with amusement as Stephanie waited for his response.

He glanced around for any ideas on how to respond to Stephanie as she patiently waited for him.

It seemed a little hard on him since his mouth was covered with his mask, including the noises around them.

Mostly because he did not want to speak, too.

So, Damien instead used Morse code through the puffs of his steam from his funnel, reading, ‘I am doing fine. How’s Sir Topham Hatt?’

‘He’s doing good, Damien!’ Stephanie signed him, impressing him more as he watched. ‘He has been working as hard as a locomotive like you and the others!’

This seemed to make Damien blush a little from the compliment, as Stephanie noticed how his steam was puffing a little.

‘Although,’ Stephanie signed to him as he watched. ‘Is there a reason why you are using Morse code? Can’t you take your mask off?’

‘I can’t,’ Damien Morse coded her. ‘Sparks are going off all around us, and I am worried about getting hurt by them.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry!’ Stephanie apologized as she continued using hand sign language. ‘I guess I was a little silly there. I’m using sign language because-’

She covered her ears when another screeching noise went through the air, sounding like metal was rubbing against each other.

Damien even winced a little from the noise, too, as it went off before stopping.

It sounded like the pointed ends of a screw were being forced against metal.

* * *

Somehow, it even got outside the Ironworks, where Diesel, ‘Arry, and Bert shuddered from the noise after wincing from that loud noise.

“Will you be careful with that?!” ‘Arry called as he glared. “You know we don’t like that noise!”

“Sorry!” the worker called back as they returned to their conversation.

* * *

Back inside, Stephanie shuddered after the noise stopped, using hand sign language: ‘What on earth was that?!’

‘That was metal grinding,’ Damien answered. ‘Imagine nails against a chalkboard.’

Stephanie shuddered again after Damien answered, signing, ‘Ugh, that was the worst sound I have ever heard.’

‘I know,’ Damien nodded in agreement. ‘You are wonderful at sign language.’

‘Thank you!’ Stephanie smirked as she blushed. ‘I learned it from one of my foster-father’s deaf friend!’

Damien looked more curious after Stephanie nodded, before asking, ‘What about understanding Morse code?’

‘One of my foster-father’s friends was from the army like my dad, so he quizzed me on Morse code,’ Stephanie explained to him. ‘I can understand a lot from Morse code through anything.’

Damien nodded after Stephanie explained, before watching her look around, her expression looking confused.

‘Do you know what time it is?’ Stephanie signed. ‘I don’t want to be late for Sir Topham Hatt’s lunchtime.’

Damien paused a little as he looked around, too, thinking of where the clock was.

Until someone hopped out of his cab and over to his side as he glanced down at the person.

His driver pulled out his pocket watch and opened it, showing the time to Damien as he nodded, as his driver closed his pocket watch and went back into his cab.

‘Stephanie,’ Stephanie glanced back over at him after watching her name translated into Morse code. ‘The time is 9:30.’

‘Ah, just in time!’ Stephanie smirked. ‘I need to go to Misty Island to check on Ryland, and after lunch, I can check on Smudger!’

‘Oh, that’s what you are doing,’ Damien chuckled. ‘I thought you were on your own little adventure.’

‘I am, except I got permission from Sir Topham Hatt, so I would not freak everyone out again.’ Stephanie giggled before walking up to him. ‘Do you mind if you can take me out of the Ironworks? I think ‘Arry left without me noticing.’

Damien nodded after Stephanie asked, watching as she carefully climbs onto his buffers before sitting next to his face to be more comfortable and safe.

Once Stephanie was sitting next to his face on his buffers, he whistled his whistle, as Stephanie flinched a little from it, as he mumbled, “Sorry.” which she responded in sign language: ‘It’s fine. I need to get used to it whenever I come here.’

Damien nodded after Stephanie used hand sign language to him, going onto the turntable and headed to the entrance to meet ‘Arry, Bert, and whoever brought Stephanie here.

* * *

Outside, ‘Arry and Bert looked a little confused after Diesel explained to them about his thoughts, glancing at each other for a moment.

“Are you sure ‘bout that, Diesel?” Bert asked, glancing over at him with his twin.

“Well, of course!” Diesel nodded with a huff. “Isn’t it strange for an eleven-year-old child to enter a spooky graveyard without having second thoughts?”

This seemed to make ‘Arry and Bert pause a little, glancing down at the tracks as they thought about what Diesel said to them.

A steam locomotive’s whistle went off inside the Ironworks after the noise died down a little, causing ‘Arry to perk a little, saying, “Oh, that must be Damien.”

Somehow, Diesel’s face went a little pale after hearing the whistle, looking like he remembered something that shook him to the core.

“Uh… ‘Arry,” Diesel asked with confusion, as ‘Arry oiled off to move out of the way. “Who’s ‘Damien?’”

Just as he asked about his name, Damien exited the Ironworks with Stephanie on his buffers, sitting next to his mask-covered face.

His appearance seemed to make Diesel’s paintwork paler than his face, shaking like a leaf in front of him as he looked surprised.

“Hi, Diesel!” Stephanie spoke as she hopped off Damien’s buffers. “This is Damien! One of the locomotives I found in that cave!”

She paused a little when she noticed he did not respond to her introduction of Damien, seeing how pale Diesel was.

“Uh, Diesel?” Stephanie spoke with confusion. “Diesel?”

Damien paused a little when he noticed Diesel’s expression on his face, mostly confused about how he reacted that way.

But he figured he must have never seen any of the locomotives as big as he was.

So, snapping him out of his shock, Damian whistled his whistle to get Diesel back on earth, causing him to jolt a few feet off the rails.

“Diesel?” Stephanie spoke with a worrying tone in her voice, recoiling a little from Damian’s whistle. “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine.” Diesel shivered, shaking himself a little. “Just surprised at how… massive he is.”

“You mean how he is built?” Stephanie asked, correcting him. “His basis is a Milwaukee Road’s A2 class, and they are made to be this tall! Besides, Damian is friendly, don’t let his demeanor get you!”

Diesel zoned out as he stared at Damian with fear in his eyes, not expressing it on his face, as Stephanie’s voice drifted off.

He seemed to remember something in his past, as he was going down a railway, speeding as fast as he could to go to the docks.

Suddenly, the almost familiar whistle went through the air, causing him to perk from the noise and glance around, only to watch a giant shadow loom over him.

He noticed the shadow looming over him and sped up as fast as he could, but was roughly bashed from behind with a hard shove, causing him to be derailed and crashed against a rock.

“…esel?” Pools of black oil spilled out against the rock, soaking it as a locomotive’s shadow appeared. “DIESEL!”

Diesel jolted after hearing Stephanie’s voice, noticing that Damian’s eyes looked confused and concerned from behind the mask he was wearing.

“Are you okay?” Stephanie asked as he glanced down at her. “You were zoning out.”

“I-I was?” Diesel stammered, shaking a little. “Sorry, I just remembered something.”

“What did you remember?” Stephanie politely asked, sounding confused.

“Nothing!” Diesel huffed, going into his personality, as Stephanie took a step back with a slightly surprised expression on her face. “J-Just something. Nothing to be worried over about.”

Stephanie paused after Diesel huffed, glancing away from him and gripped her left arm, asking, “Diesel? …May you bring me to Misty Island? I want to see Ryland.”

Diesel nodded and watched as Stephanie walked around him as his cab door opened, as his driver picked her up from the ground and placed her inside as the door closed.

Diesel honked his horn and went off to a turntable, but swore he heard a faint voice spoke, “That’s funny. He seemed scared of me.”

Not wanting to know who said that, Diesel continued his way until he got onto a turntable, turned back around, and honked his horn, heading out of the Ironworks.

Inside, Stephanie was hugging Diesel’s driver’s leg, looking slightly confused about why Diesel barked at her when she asked about his memory when he saw Damian.

Did he remember something gruesome in his past he did not want to remember?

Stephanie’s stomach turned with sorry as she hugged Diesel’s driver’s leg a little more, causing him to glance down at her in confusion.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, noticing she was weirdly quiet and slightly sad. “Did Diesel snap at you?”

Stephanie silently nodded her head after he asked, as he huffed, glancing back forward.

“You know you can’t snap at Stephanie like that, Diesel,” he spoke, sounding annoyed at him. “She’s just a child.”

“I know, I know,” Diesel rumbled as he drove down the line. “It’s just something personal.”

Diesel paused a little after he huffed, thinking about Stephanie’s feelings about how he had snapped at her, softly rumbling, “Sorry.”

This seemed to perk his driver a little after he apologized, as Stephanie smiled gently and reached over with a hand, gently patting the side of his cab.

“It’s fine, Diesel.” Stephanie smiled reassuringly. “I shouldn’t ask. …Maybe I shouldn’t be all  _ that _ curious either.”

Diesel paused after Stephanie spoke, deciding to focus on something else instead, noticing that he was passing by the Search and Rescue Centre, before seeing the tunnel that leads to Misty Island.

He does remember where Misty Island was because he was there searching for a tree for Dowager Hatt, in a race with Thomas.

A slight smirk appeared on his face when he remembered his race with Thomas, Den, and Dart.

He passed down the tunnel and through the other side, entering the mysterious island which weirdly has some fog, but not enough to make things harder for him to see.

Diesel went down the line until he came to the Logging Station, seeing Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand were not waiting for him.

“Where’s everyone?” Diesel rumbled with confusion, glancing around.

“HEAD’S UP!” Diesel glanced over to see who called out, seeing a massive bare tree heading towards where he was!

Diesel screamed like a little girl after noticing the tree and rushed forward as fast as he could, as it landed squarely on a flatbed.

After the bare tree landed on the flatbed, Diesel was shaking as he stopped, opening one eye before another, seeing the log had not landed on him.

Nothing happened to him, but instead, it had landed on a flatbed and not on him.

He shakily sighed in relief after moving out of the way, before glancing over when he noticed Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand coming over to where he was.

Behind them was an unfamiliar engine he had never seen before, but with the same symbol as they have.

“Ah, it’s Diesel!” Bash and Dash smiled as Ferdinand said, “That’s right!”

The new engine chuckled a little after Ferdinand nodded in agreement, going to a different track.

Once he went onto a separate track, he asked, “So your name is ‘Diesel,’ huh? My name is Ryland, and I’m new around here!”

“I noticed.” Diesel huffed as Stephanie stepped out of his cab. “You nearly made me crash with that log!”

“Oh, that?” Ryland asked, blushing a little. “Sorry, I was showing off a little. I used to do that in an old logging company a long time ago.”

Diesel perked a little after Ryland explained, asking, “Really?”

“Yes!” Bash nodded, as Dash added, “He is strong!”

“That’s right!” Ferdinand nodded in agreement as Ryland blushed from the compliment.

He then noticed Stephanie next to Diesel, pushing her glasses into place after being placed down on the ground.

“Ah, hello, Steph!” Ryland smiled. “What brought you here?”

“I came here to check on you.” Stephanie smiled back. “How is it working here with the Logging Locos?”

“Crazy at first,” Ryland smiled with a chuckle. “I’ve never seen them as crazy as the guys back then, but, hey, I like it! Sorry about scarin’ you back there.”

“It’s fine!” Stephanie chuckled. “Diesel moved out of the way!”

Diesel sheepishly chuckled as he blushed with embarrassment, which was lucky for them not to hear his scream.

As they talked a little about how their days were doing, Diesel’s mind drifted off about how Stephanie reacted after seeing all those… dead locomotives at the Ironworks.

He suspected Stephanie would instantly feel depressed about seeing all the dead engines around, wanting to get out of the place.

It looked a little… fishy for him to see Stephanie like that.

Would all eleven-year-olds react like that?

Diesel instantly tossed the thought of doing a little experiment with a different eleven-year-old, thinking it would be barbaric to do something for a child.

But on the other wheel, Stephanie did say she had been to a junkyard before.

So that was one thing out of his mind that kept bothering him.

Diesel continued to think about his conversations with ‘Arry and Bert, knowing that his thoughts to them would spread to some other diesels.

He shrugged a little to himself, knowing that not much of the steamies he remembers would be that open-minded listening to a diesel’s conversations about their thoughts about a child.

“Diesel?” Diesel snapped back to reality after hearing Stephanie’s voice, glancing down at her. “Are you sure you are okay? You seemed to be dazing in and out a lot.”

Diesel stayed silent after Stephanie asked, mumbling, “It’s fine, just need some sleep after work, that’s all.”

Stephanie paused a little after Diesel mumbled before nodding her head and asked, “Diesel?-”

“I know, I know,” Diesel nodded, interrupting Stephanie a little as she stopped. “You want to see Smudger?”

“No, I want to go back to Sir Topham Hatt,” Stephanie spoke, blushing a little. “It’s almost lunchtime.”

Diesel ‘shrugged’ a little after Stephanie spoke, watching her walk around him to his cab.

“So, Diesel,” Ryland spoke as he glanced over at him. “Was it you that screamed?”

Diesel’s face turned crimson after Ryland asked, puffing black clouds of smoke out of his air vents as he jolted back as Stephanie entered his cab after being picked up by his driver, honking his horn and moving forward.

Bash, Dash, Ferdinand, and Ryland coughed a little as Diesel went by them after puffing black clouds at them, shaking a little as it cleared away from their faces.

“What was,” Dash spoke as Bash finished, “That for?”

“That’s right!” Ferdinand nodded in agreement, coughing a little.

“I think he  _ did _ scream.” Ryland chuckled a little. “Anyways, let’s get back to work!”

* * *

Diesel grumbled as he went down the line, still a little annoyed they  _ did _ hear him scream, although he suspected they did not.

But his annoyance ebbed away as he entered Knapford on time, letting Stephanie off the platform.

“Thanks, Diesel!” Stephanie smiled before turning around and entering Sir Topham Hatt’s office.

Diesel blinked a little after Stephanie  _ thanked _ him, figuring that she would not thank him for taking her around to see the two engines, feeling more perplexed.

“Hey, Diesel?” Diesel glanced over at his driver as he said, “We need to get to an oil tank. You’re almost empty.”

“Oh, right.” Diesel nodded, honking his horn, and went off to fill his tank.

Meanwhile, Stephanie was telling Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt about her experience in the Ironworks.

It confused the two a little with her adventure at Ironworks, noticing the same thing as Diesel.

But continued to listen as Stephanie talked about her meeting the Logging Locos with Ryland.

She even explained her adventure with Diesel, who came over to help her around after asking what she was doing on the platform, which confused Sir Topham Hatt more but did not express it.

Dowager Hatt sometimes asks Stephanie about her thoughts about school, mostly wanting to ask about the Troublesome Trio as they both nicknamed them.

Stephanie would tell them that ‘school was fantastic than being different from being homeschooled,’ and the ‘Troublesome Trio weren’t a threat to her, but just annoying.’

This seems to make Dowager Hatt’s mom instincts seem to kick up a little, thinking to herself how weirdly  _ calm _ Stephanie was with the bullying and seeing ‘dead’ things around her, not being bothered by it.

It even made Dowager Hatt feel suspicious towards her ‘foster-father,’ thinking that there is more behind than just a father to her.

After lunchtime was over, Stephanie thanked Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt for lunch before heading off to visit Smudger at the Skarloey Railway.

When she stepped outside, Stephanie stopped and noticed that Diesel was not there.

‘Where’s Diesel?’ Stephanie thought with confusion, glancing around for him.

Stephanie scratched the side of her head with confusion as she waited for him to come over to the station to help her to the Skareloy Railway, when Thomas rolled by, seeing her standing there.

“What’s wrong, Stephanie?” Thomas asked, noticing her expression.

“Was Diesel here?” Stephanie asked in return.

“He was,” Thomas nodded. “But he went to deliver some trucks.”

‘Ah, of course.’ Stephanie sighed.

Thomas paused a little after Stephanie asked about Diesel before suggesting, “If you want, I could take you to where you wanted to go!”

“Really?” Stephanie perked with a smile.

“Yes,” Thomas nodded. “There’s no need for a ticket to board the express.”

Stephanie giggled after Thomas joked a little before walking up to his cab as the door opened.

She allowed his driver to pick her up from the ground and into his cab, closing the door behind him.

“Where do you want to go, Stephanie?” his driver asked.

“The Skarloey Railway, please.” Stephanie smiled. “I would like to see how Smudger is doing.”

Thomas nodded after Stephanie politely asked, whistling his whistle and puffing off, heading to the Skarloey Railway as she spoke.

“That’s weird,” his driver chuckled a little as she hugged his leg. “That’s where we are going to, too.”

Stephanie giggled after his driver remarked, saying, “What a coincidence!”

Thomas chuckled after Stephanie remarked, whistling as he passed by the switch stations.

The ride to the Skarloey Railway was long but relaxing for Stephanie, liking the gentle rocking and the noises from him, not as noisy as Diesel was.

But she liked both kinds of locomotives and liked how they both are.

When they reached the Skarloey Railway, Thomas stopped near a station, letting Stephanie out as she hopped onto the platform.

“Thank you, Thomas!” Stephanie beamed.

Thomas whistled after Stephanie thanked him, before puffing off to deliver his trucks, as Stephanie went to find Smudger, being careful with accidentally stepping onto the tracks.

Stephanie ventured deeper and deeper into the railway, looking for a familiar dark green narrow-gauge locomotive with the number two on the sides.

When she noticed a golden yellow locomotive passing by, causing her to turn around and see Duncan.

“Oh, Duncan!” Stephanie called as he glanced over, noticing her.

Duncan was just relaxing at the siting when he noticed Stephanie as she went around the station, being careful with going across the tracks for any incoming engines.

Once she walked over to him, Duncan asked, “Whit are ye doin’ here, Stephanie? A thoucht ye were wi’ Sir Topham Hatt.”

“I was,” Stephanie nodded. “But I wanted to see how Smudger was doing, so I came here to see him. Do you know where he is?”

“A dae,” Duncan nodded. “Climb on an A’ll tak ye tae him.”

Stephanie nodded her head and climbed into his cab carefully, moving a little back so there would be room for his driver and fireman to work.

Duncan whistled his whistle and puffed off, going to the yard where the sheds were.

“So, how is your day, Duncan?” Stephanie curiously asked, hugging his driver’s legs.

“Och, it’s aye the same!” Duncan complained. “There’s nothin’ happenin’ an’ aye havin’ tae dae the same thin ower an’ ower again.”

“I know how you feel, Duncan.” Stephanie nodded in agreement. “I sometimes wander off when I feel curious, which makes the adults worry a little.”

Duncan nodded in agreement after Stephanie blushed, remembering times when they said Stephanie was not where she was, which would make him a little concerned but alert in case he saw her.

“Hou often ye run aff like thon?” Duncan asked, glancing up at her a little.

“Pretty much,” Stephanie nodded. “It only happens if I get bored. Sometimes I forget to ask permission from the adults and get them stressed.”

She blushed a little as she added, “Mom used to say that to me when I was a toddler.”

“Really?” Duncan spoke as they turned the corner as his driver and fireman glanced at each other with slightly perplexed expressions on their faces. “Whit did yer parents dae after findin’ ye?”

“They would gently scold me to not do that again,” Stephanie blushed sheepishly. “So, I learn a little from my mistakes. What about you? Do you wander off?”

“A wish.” Duncan huffed. “But A dinnae know where A coud gae tae. Sae, A endit up stayin’ here syne it’s more comfortable. A uisually gae tae the yard an’ the quarry.”

Stephanie nodded in agreement after Duncan huffed, patting his side with her hand.

“But it doesn’t hurt to try looking around if you have a chance?” Stephanie suggested. “It doesn’t always need a map to adventure around.”

“Which gets ye lost easily,” Duncan remarked, smirking a little.

Stephanie’s cheeks puffed a little as she blushed, mumbling, “It’s not my fault I got lost before! I was new here!”

Duncan chuckled after hearing Stephanie huffed with a slight pout at his remark about her being lost before turning another corner.

There was Duke in his shed, talking fondly to Smudger as he was talking with him too.

Duncan whistled his whistle after coming to them as they glanced over and noticed him.

“Hello, Duncan.” Duke greeted. “What brought you here?”

“Stephanie wantit tae see Smudger,” Duncan explained, confusing the two a little. “She askit permission tae Sir Topham Hatt first.”

Stephanie blushed from Duncan after explaining to them as his driver helped Stephanie down to the ground as she walked up to Smudger.

“Hi, Smudger.” Stephanie beamed. “It’s been a while, hmm?”

“It’s only a few weeks, Stephie.” Smudger chuckled. “Nothin’ happenin’ to me yet!”

She blushed again after Smudger assured her, before going into a conversation about their day, as Duncan decided to go back to what he was doing.

Stephanie explained about the Ironworks Damian works at, which surprised Duke that she was brave enough to go there, as Smudger said, “You went to the Ironworks to see Damie there?!”

She paused a little after Smudger exclaimed, saying, “Yes, you wouldn’t believe how loud it was there! Even with all the grinding noises!”

Stephanie shivered to herself from the noises, glad that her ears were not deaf from how loud it was.

Duke and Smudger glanced at each other after Stephanie explained, as Smudger said, “Weren’t you bothered by how many... dead engines were there?”

Stephanie paused a little after Smudger asked, responding, “I’ve been to a junkyard before, and I was fine, although I did need ‘Arry next to me.”

Duke smiled as Smudger chuckled a little, as he said, “I’m glad Damie is workin’ there, though! He seemed to like it very much!”

“Yes.” Duke nodded in agreement.

“Kinda reminds me of my brother.” Stephanie’s face turned from a smile to a light, confused expression, asking, “Who’s your brother?”

Smudger paused after Stephanie asked, glancing over at Duke.

Duke was silent after Smudger glanced over at him before slowly nodded.

“Okay,” Smudger spoke as he glanced back at Stephanie. “Do you know that we all either come from the same basis or from different types?”

Stephanie nodded her head, listening to the conversation from Smudger.

“Well, I was not the only one in my basis,” Smudger explained to her. “I have multiple brothers, sisters, and cousins like me!”

Stephanie perked, as Smudger explained, saying, “Skarloey is my brother, along with Dolgoch and Talyllyn, as Rheneas is my twin.”

“Really?” Stephanie beamed. “You have a lot of siblings, Smudger!”

Smudger blushed from Stephanie’s remark, as Duke chuckled a little.

“One of them was built a little differently, Stephanie,” Duke explained. “His metal was thicker than others and was even strong too.”

Stephanie cocked her head to the side gently, asking, “Why?”

“Because the builder who made us wanted one that will work at an Ironworks,” Smudger explained. “And he was almost the first to be built.”

Smudger paused a little along with Duke as Stephanie noticed the silence between the two.

“What was his name?” Stephanie asked curiously.

Smudger and Duke paused a little from telling Stephanie the name of the brother before Smudger finally answered, “His name was Smoother.”

* * *

_ “‘Smoother?’ That’s his name?” _

_ Yes, Stephanie, that is his name. _

_ “What is wrong with an engine named ‘Smoother?’” _

_ Well, let us explain, Stephanie. We think you are old enough to understand this. _

_ Let’s see what I can remember.  _

_ Ah, Smoother was from a railway tiny than the previous one me and Dukey used to work on, which was far away. _

_ He was nicknamed “The Masked Engine” because he wore a mask over his face. _

_ “Just like Damian! He told me this before when I came over to visit him.” _

_ Yes, now, Smoother was also the manager’s favorite engine because of how hard-working he was, congratulating him with everything he does. _

_ Not everyone likes Smoother, however. _

_ The engines that used to work there were filled with jealousy about Smoother, thinking they were making them feel stupid in front of the manager. _

_ They often called him names and were rude to him whenever they could, but Smoother didn’t mind them and carried on with his work. _

_ But one day, the other engines went too far with him.  _

_ They tried to pull a prank on Smoother, which caused his shed to go on fire, and Smoother, the Blacksmith Engine, was burnt and killed in the accident. _

_ The other engines didn’t want to get in trouble, so they blamed him to the manager after that, and the manager believed them. _

_ “He did?” _

_ Yes, and he was ashamed of Smoother, so he sent his burnt body to the scrapyard that night. _

_ But Smoother’s driver was filled with rage from the manager believing the bully engines. _

_ He took Smoother’s body somewhere and disappeared into the night. _

_ People believe the driver went to the United Kingdom because he was never seen or heard from again since. _

_ “What happened after that?” _

_ Well, a month later, some trucks were outside the shed and heard the bully engines and their crew laughing in the shed. _

_ It was pretty foggy that night, so the trucks couldn’t see through the shed doors. _

_ The bully engines and their crew were telling jokes to each other and listening to some music. _

_ Until the laughter quickly stopped after they heard a knock on the shed doors. _

_ The engines and their drivers thought it was an animal or something, so one of them went to scare it off. _

_ But the engines and their crew did not know what was behind the shed doors. _

_ Because it would not be scared off. _

_ Once they opened the shed doors, the mist cleared, and outside stood the vengeful, modified, and undead engine with eyes described by trucks eviler than the devil himself with the manager’s ripped off head attached to his buffer, Smoother.  _

_ All the trucks could do was watch as Smoother charged into the sheds to attack them. _

_ They saw the engines and their crew’s blood and intestines splatter on the windows of the shed. _

_ The trucks heard the screams of the bully engines and their crew getting finished as he used his flamethrower to burn them alive. _

_ The police were called the next day but only found the mangled dead bodies of the bully engines. _

_ But did not find the killer either. _

_ No one knows or wants to find where the masked engine is now. _

* * *

Stephanie shuddered after hearing the story about Smoother, rubbing her arm as her hair stood up.

“Do you both know what happened to Smoother?” Stephanie asked, shaking a little.

Smudger and Duke glanced at each other after they explained, as Duke said, “Well, I remember a magical kettle that trapped him.”

“‘A kettle?’” Stephanie asked with confusion, cocking her head to the side a little.

“Yes,” Duke nodded. “The first Sir Topham Hatt trapped Smoother, Dominic, and Alfred in that kettle a long time ago before you were born.”

More of Stephanie’s curiosity grew after hearing the story about Smoother from the two.

But she also wanted to know who was ‘Alfred’ and ‘Dominic.’

“Who’s ‘Alfred’ and ‘Dominic?’” Stephanie asked, sounding more curious.

“Alfred is an evil engine that used to be named 98462,” Duke explained. “He used to be friends with Gordon and Crovan, who was called 87546 back in the time.”

Stephanie was silent as she listened to the story about Alfred as the two explained to her.

But she was still a little shaken about the history of Smoother.

“But he had a downfall before he could rise,” Smudger explained. “He crashed from an accident and came back as a ghost, bent on revenge like Smoother.”

“And was he imprisoned with him in the same kettle?” Stephanie guessed.

They both nodded after Stephanie guessed.

“Now, for Dominic,” Duke spoke, pausing a little. “I don’t remember much of him, but I remember he used to bully Donald many times and was nicknamed ‘The Spiteful Brake Van.’”

“But he got crushed by Douglas when he was helping James up Gordon’s Hill,” Smudger finished, as Stephanie shivered a little. “Served the little-”

“Shh! Smudger!” Duke shushed him. “Not in front of her.”

Stephanie giggled after Duke shushed him before continuing to talk to them, but was still a little worried about the ghosts they explained to her.

As they talked with each other, Stephanie forgot to check the time since she did not have a clock or a watch.

She even forgot that Duke fell asleep as they were talking, sleeping peacefully.

When nighttime came, Smudger was tired after talking for a long time, yawning a little as Stephanie paused from talking.

“Are you tired?” Stephanie politely asked.

“Yeah, I am.” Smudger nodded. “Sorry, kiddo. I’ve been working a lot.”

“It’s okay,” Stephanie smiled. “I’ll leave you here to sleep and head back to Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion.”

“Mkay...” Smudger nodded, yawning again before falling asleep.

Once Smudger had fallen asleep, Stephanie went to walk back to Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion, hoping that she would not be late for dinner or make them worried.

As she turned around the corner and exited out from the station, a single red eye with a silver mask glistening in the moonlight was watching her before disappearing into thin air.

* * *

During her walk, Stephanie was thinking to herself about Smoother’s story, along with Alfred’s and Dominic’s.

Smoother’s story was creepy, causing her skin to prickle with goosebumps, as Alfred’s was a little confusing, but Dominic’s was a little worrying.

Was anyone else there alive after that wreck?

An owl’s hoot seemed to snap Stephanie back to reality, causing her to look around, seeing that it was coming from a snowy owl.

Stephanie stopped when she noticed the beautiful creature, watching it fly up from the branch it was perching from and went off.

‘Was that a snowy owl?’ Stephanie thought to herself. ‘I have never seen one before! But incredible!’

After the encounter with the snowy owl, Stephanie glanced up at the full moon.

It was calmly reflecting off the glasses she was wearing as it was in a bright blue color.

It was beautiful with the sky clear as day, and the stars were out and shining like glitter.

It seemed to make Stephanie feel calm as she stared at the stars, noticing that she could see them without clouds blocking them.

Pushing her glasses into place after staring at the moon and stars, Stephanie glanced back down at the tracks, only to stop and exclaim when she saw an unfamiliar engine in front of her.

Since the moonlight was semi-glowing in the sky, Stephanie thought the engine was someone else, or more like a narrow-gauged engine like Smudger, Duke, and the others.

“Oh, excuse me,” Stephanie politely smiled as she placed a hand on her chest while bowing slightly towards the mysterious engine. “I’m sorry if I am in your way. Do you want me to move out of your way?”

The engine said nothing after Stephanie politely asked but puffed a little from his funnel, which means ‘yes,’ in Morse code, just like Damian.

“Thank you,” Stephanie politely thanked the engine as she bowed slightly towards them again before moving to the right-hand side of the tracks and walking around on the side. “I’ll see you later, and nice paintwork you have!”

After Stephanie remarked on the mysterious engine’s paintwork, the moonlight gleamed a little on the locomotive but revealed only the eyes, which had the same single red iris.

The eyes glanced down at their paintwork for a moment, looking a little confused.

Then, they looked over at Stephanie from the corner as she disappeared into the forest.

Whoever had the eyes seemed to be thinking to themselves about her.

Meanwhile, Stephanie continued walking through the moonlit night, feeling a little nervous about encountering a cross Sir Topham Hatt about staying out at night for a little too long.

However, Stephanie had reason to explain to Sir Topham Hatt why she was not coming home at the correct time.

After turning around the bend, Stephanie encountered a brake van that seemed to be left out in the open, but the weirdest part was that no trains or diesels were pulling it from behind.

“Hello?” Stephanie was confusingly greeted, glancing around for any engine for a moment, before glancing back at the brake van. “What are you doing out here by yourself?”

The brake van was silent after she asked, staring at her with a semi-angry and semi-confused expression on their face.

Stephanie innocently looked confused from the silent treatment, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.

“Uh, okay, um, do you mind if I walk around you?” Stephanie asked, stuttering a little. “I didn’t mean to be in your way, mister. I was heading back to Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion, and… I think I got a little lost…”

Stephanie trailed off a little after she explained to the silent brake van, glancing to the side at the thought of what could be happening to her, and maybe could be walking around in circles while following the tracks.

The brake van cocked an eyebrow after Stephanie explained to him before nodding gently, allowing her to walk around him.

So, Stephanie bravely walked past him, still on the siding instead of the tracks, like last time, to not get into any more brake van’s or engine’s path.

‘Maybe in the morning, if I return to Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion, I might consider asking him if he could try asking an engine to take that brake van to Knapford…’ Stephanie thought to herself as she continued walking. ‘Although I have never seen him before.’

After walking around the brake van, Stephanie continued walking through the forest, trembling a little as she noticed the forest looked a little… unfamiliar from the other forests she remembers.

Stephanie fretted she might be lost in the woods, cursing herself for the softness of letting Smudger sleep instead of letting him know he had to take her to Sir Topham Hatt.

Not only that, Stephanie even cursed herself about asking the two previous beings she encountered if they knew where Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion could be.

However, Stephanie was unsure if they knew where Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion could be since she sometimes gets a ride in his car.

Just as she turned the corner, Stephanie stopped when she encountered two now-familiar beings she had previously bumped into, but the third one seemed to be a mystery.

The moonlight of the moon was hidden behind some trees where Stephanie is standing.

They were also standing at an empty patch in the forest, where there are fewer trees around.

Sighing softly, Stephanie stepped close to the beings, saying, “I’m sorry, but who…”

She trailed off when the moonlight finally revealed itself to her, as she looked surprised to see who was in front of her.

The first being in front of her was the brake van Stephanie had encountered before, but now that the moonlight was out, Stephanie can now clearly see who they are.

The brake van’s basis is a Toad D 20-ton brake van and was painted gray.

“You’re that brake van back there!” Stephanie exclaimed softly before pausing a little. “How did you get from over there to here?”

The brave van did not answer Stephanie’s question until two more appeared side by side in the brake van.

The basis of the steam engine is the same as Smudger’s but modified a little differently.

The engine is painted dark blue and has a number four on its sides, and nameplates have the name “SMOOTHER” written on both sides.

He had a black mask covering his face like Damian, except underneath, Stephanie could see that his eye on the left side was red.

Dried blood stains covered every inch of the engine’s body, but the most covered were the buffers.

The third engine was the biggest one out of all of them and looking a little scarier.

But it was not too terrifying for Stephanie to run away from the massive metal beast.

The base is a Great Eastern Railway Class S69 4-6-0 and is painted in green, with a dark green lining.

The scleras are black, as the eyes are red.

As Stephanie stared at them, she noticed they were almost pale, as if their color was gone, and looked like they were ghosts!

“You’re…” Stephanie spoke before drifting off. “You’re all ghosts?”

“ ** _ Of course, _ ** ” the brake van answered, his voice sounding ghostly. “ ** _ We always have been. _ ** ”

Stephanie stayed silent after the brake van answered before the dark blue, blood-splattered, narrow-gauge engine appeared before Stephanie.

“But why are you all after me?” Stephanie asked, pointing to herself with a finger. “Did I do something wrong?”

She was nervous about being the next victim on the list to be killed by ghostly engines, but she still had some bravery to talk to them.

“ ** _ No, you are not in trouble. We are ‘after you’ because you were… oddly polite to Dominic and me. _ ** ” The engine before her spoke, his voice sounding deep.

The hair on the back of Stephanie’s neck prickled slightly from the tone of his voice, calming yet sounding like it was threatening her.

“ ** _ You even remarked about my paintwork, _ ** ” he continued. “ ** _ Even though it was covered in dried blood splatters. _ ** ”

“I didn’t know who you were,” Stephanie softly said, sweating a little nervously. “It was dark outside, and I didn’t see the blood.”

She paused a little and added, “Although… I have heard stories about you two.”

“ ** _ You did? _ ** ” the big locomotive asked, cocking a little. “ ** _ Who told you these stories? _ ** ”

Stephanie paused a little after the giant locomotive asked, before answering, “Smudger and Duke.”

Smoother, the masked and blood-covered locomotive, perked a little when he heard Smudger’s name.

“ ** _ He’s still alive? _ ** ” Smoother asked, his voice also ghostly. “ ** _ I thought he had come to his time after getting his wheels taken off from him and left behind. _ ** ”

Stephanie shook her head no and explained, “I found him in a cave with two other locomotives, and… well, he has been working at the Skarloey Railway ever since.”

They paused a little after Stephanie explained to them, glancing at each other as if they wanted to ask more questions, but were unsure since she had listened to the stories about them.

“ ** _ Alright then, kid, _ ** ” the brake van, named Dominic, spoke.

“Stephanie,” Stephanie corrected him. “My name is Stephanie, Stephanie Allen.”

“ ** _ Okay, Stephanie, _ ** ” Dominic sighed, rolling his eyes a little. “ ** _ We have questions we want to ask you, and we will let you go back to where you wanted to go to. _ ** ”

“And if I don’t?” Stephanie curiously asked.

“ ** _ Smoother here will show you what he does to naughty kids that do not listen to their parents to not stay up all night. _ ** _ ” _ Alfred mocked as Smoother moved forward a little.

Stephanie’s bravery dwindled a little after hearing the tone in Alfred’s voice, thinking that he was serious.

But she instead gathered her courage again and said, “Okay, what are your questions?”

Alfred smirked as Smoother moved back as he moved a little forward, saying, “ ** _ First question, what do you know about Gordon, Henry, and Crovan?” _ **

Stephanie paused a little after Alfred asked, answering, “Gordon and Henry are still working and doing fine as much as I can remember, but I do not know who Crovan is.”

“ ** _ You haven’t met him yet? _ ** ” Dominic asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Stephanie nodded her head after he asked, moving her hands up and nervously rubbing them.

“ ** _ Alright, that’s one question, _ ** ” Alfred nodded. “ ** _ How much do you remember of our past? _ ** ”

“Only the incidents and backstories,” Stephanie answered bravely. “Not much of your past to insult, but I feel bad for what happened to you.”

That seemed to make the three fearsome ghosts pause a little after she spoke, as Smoother asked, “ ** _ Why feeling sorry for us? _ ** ”

Stephanie paused a little after Smoother asked, as she answered, “Because you all didn’t mean to act like this. Smoother, those bully engines bullied you, and your driver was angry at what had happened to you.”

Smoother stayed silent as he listened to Stephanie as Alfred looked more confused.

“I know you did your revenge on them, but,” Stephanie placed a hand on her chest. “You were hurt, and they had karma coming to them.”

Smoother was silent after Stephanie explained, as she turned to Alfred and said, “For you... I think you were arrogant and rude to everyone because you felt like you weren’t important. You wanted to show everyone that you are higher than everyone else because you were afraid of being replaced, but got yourself into a position where you-”

“ ** _ Got myself killed instead after letting my own insecurities get ahold of me, _ ** ” Alfred mumbled, glancing down from Stephanie’s eyesight. “ ** _ I know, I know. Sir Topham Hatt told me that too. ‘You were a naughty engine, so you need to get back to where you came from!’ _ ** ”

He mocked the first Sir Topham Hatt’s voice as he crossed his eyes before sighing.

Then she turned her attention to Dominic, as he said, “ ** _ I know, I know. I was being bossy and a pushover. I only made things worse when I made fun of Donald’s brother and got myself into this mess. _ ** ”

“Yes,” Stephanie nodded as she crossed her arms over her chest. “And-”

“ ** _ We all need to pay the consequences. _ ** ” they all finished as Stephanie stopped. “ ** _ We know, Stephanie. _ ** ”

When they spoke the last sentence, Alfred’s was a little annoyed than the others, who sounded a little regretful.

“Sorry,” Stephanie apologized as she shrugged her shoulders. “Anyways, are there any more questions?”

They all paused a little after Stephanie asked, before Smoother said, “ ** _ Yes, I have one. What are you doing out in the middle of nowhere? _ ** ”

Instantly, Stephanie remembered what she was doing, panicking as she jolted, exclaiming, “Oh, crap! I forgot!”

She bit the side of her finger as she groaned, glancing around anxiously as she mumbled, “Ohh, Sir Topham Hatt is going to be mad at me!”

“ ** _ Wait, calm down a little, _ ** ” Smoother said as he moved closer to Stephanie. “ ** _ What were you trying to do earlier? _ ** ”

Stephanie paused a little after he asked, answering, “I was trying to go back to his mansion after going to the Skarloey Railway to talk to Smudger and Duke, but instead got myself lost.”

“ ** _ Sir Topham Hatt is still alive? _ ** ” Alfred asked, sounding a little surprised. “ ** _ He must be over a hundred years old! _ ** ”

“No,” Stephanie shook her head. “He’s the third Sir Topham Hatt.”

Alfred looked a little confused after Stephanie corrected him, as Dominic perked.

“ ** _ Oh, I remember him! _ ** ” Dominic remarked. “ ** _ He’s the current conductor of the railway after the first and second passed away. _ ** ”

Alfred paused a little after Dominic remarked, as Stephanie asked, “Well, do any of you know where his mansion is? I don’t want to be late for dinner.”

They paused a little after Stephanie asked, before Smoother said, “ ** _ I do. But you have to climb into my cab for me to take you there. _ ** ”

Stephanie paused a little after Smoother spoke, stammering, “B-But don’t locomotive ghosts take their ‘passengers’ with them to their grave?”

“ ** _ That’s a different locomotive, Stephanie. _ ** ” Smoother sighed. “ ** _ But I am doing this for you since you were being nice to us. Only this once, okay? _ ** ”

Stephanie hesitated after Smoother explained to her before nodding her head and stepping into his empty cab.

Once she was inside her cab, Smoother used his ghost powers to teleport, reaching Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion and stopping at the gate to it.

Stephanie felt a little dizzy from the sudden feeling but shook it off with a gentle shake of her head.

“ ** _ Okay, _ ** ” Smoother spoke as Stephanie carefully stepped out of his cab. “ ** _ We’re here. _ ** ”

Stephanie sighed in relief that he kept his promise to her before turning around to him and bowed to him, saying, “Thank you for helping me.”

Smoother’s expression looked slightly surprised from underneath his mask, but nodded once and disappeared into thin air, leaving behind the smell of melted iron.

Once Smoother had disappeared into thin air, Stephanie shakily sighed in relief after he left before turning around and heading to the door of Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion.

She walked up to the door and knocked on it as it opened, revealing it to be Reginald.

“Ah, hello, Stephanie,” He politely greeted. “You’re on time for dinner.”

‘In time?’ Stephanie thought to herself in confusion. ‘I thought I was late. …Oh well.’

She shrugged to herself as she stepped into the mansion, respectfully taking her shoes off before coming further into the house.

As she walked by Reginald after taking her shoes off, he asked, “Do you mind if I ask a question?”

Stephanie nodded her head as he asked, “Why do you smell like iron?”

Remembering being in the Ironworks and near Smoother, Stephanie answered, “I was in the Ironworks to meet Damian. Sorry if I stink that much.”

“It is fine,” Reginald assured her. “Why don’t you take a quick bath to get the smell off?”

Stephanie nodded her head and said, “Thank you.” and walked off to the bathroom.

Just as she was going up the stairs, Stephanie noticed there was something black on her hands.

It caused her to pause a little with confusion, stopping herself from touching the stair rails.

Looking at her hands, Stephanie noticed they were covered in black soot, almost as if she was touching coal.

‘It must’ve been from Smoother,’ Stephanie thought to herself. ‘And he  _ is _ real! I’m lucky I have survived from him.’

She smiled to herself from her encounter with the ghosts before continuing with what she was doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	20. Too Much Teasing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie went onto her day, even after her encounter, but had enough with one engine's poking, so she came up with a cheeky idea...

During that week, Stephanie sometimes visits Thomas and Gordon at Knapford after school, excited to tell them what she had learned.

She even told them about her friends, happy that she has someone who would look over her if something happened to her.

But did not tell them what she encountered in the forest after walking away from Smudger’s and Duke’s shed.

She had a feeling that they would not believe in her if she told them about the ghosts.

So she kept the news to herself about Alfred, Smoother, and Dominic.

One day, Stephanie went to visit Thomas and Gordon at Knapford after school as they were at the station to pick up their passengers.

“Hello, Stephanie!” Thomas smiled as she stepped out from his coach. “How was school?”

“Wonderful, Thomas!” Stephanie beamed. “We were learning about the history of Sodor!”

Gordon perked a little from Stephanie’s enthusiasm about learning history, as Thomas asked, “Isn’t learning about history boring to you?”

“Nope.” Stephanie shook her head no. “It’s not boring, but it was interesting. Sodor’s history is a lot different from the usual American history or any others I have learned before.”

“Oh, which countries?” Thomas asked, sounding curious.

Stephanie paused a little as she thought to herself, as Gordon listened to their conversation.

“I’ve learned about India’s history and myths, Japan, England, Russia, and many others,” Stephanie explained to him.

Gordon snorted a little after Stephanie explained, saying, “Well, your foster-father seemed to be strict on learning about every bit about history.”

Stephanie paused a little as she turned around to him, asking, “Well, yes, I had to learn about everything since he travels.”

“Hmm,” Gordon paused. “Then that makes you his girl genius?”

Stephanie did get his tease, but instead said, “Yes, I am, and I am proud of it!”

Gordon rolled his eyes a little with amusement after Stephanie nodded before being picked up by Sir Topham Hatt.

After that, the Steam Team later started talking about their day, as Gordon continued teasing about Stephanie, even when she had come to the island too.

“Do you remember when Stephanie came to the island?” Emily asked with a gentle chuckle. “She was a curious little girl!”

“Yes, and got lost before.” Gordon teased, reminding them.

“Gordon, she was new at the island,” Henry softly scolded. “You know she was confused and worried.”

“I do,” Gordon nodded. “She sometimes even gets in trouble by going on off by herself.”

Thomas rolled his eyes as Gordon went on teasing Stephanie, looking a little annoyed about it.

Little did Gordon know that someone with long brown hair was watching from the side of the shed.

They were listening to the conversation about her and along with the teasing.

The expression of the mysterious person looked annoyed as Gordon continued teasing Stephanie about her mistakes.

Even making the adults worried about her to some of the Steam Team’s annoyance.

The figure huffed after having enough of listening to the conversation and walked off, heading back to Knapford without them noticing the person.

* * *

The next day, Stephanie was at the station with Sir Topham Hatt, who was looking at the clipboard in his hand.

A sly smirk appeared on her face a little as Sir Topham Hatt looked at the clipboard before placing it down on his desk.

A call came from the phone as Sir Topham Hatt mumbled, “Oh, bother that telephone.”

Stephanie waited until he picked up the phone as he pushed his clipboard to the side a little, giving her the chance to take the clipboard.

She did and looked at the jobs each engine had before noticing Gordon’s name beside the express.

Picking up a pencil, Stephanie erased Henry’s name from the goods trucks.

She even erased Gordon’s from the express, doing something that would change her life.

She then jotted Gordon’s name next to Henry’s job in Sir Topham Hatt’s excellent handwriting.

She even did the same thing to Henry’s name next to Gordon’s job.

After the switch, Stephanie placed the clipboard down next to Sir Topham Hatt, where he had it before, and kept the pencil in her pocket, sitting back down at where she was, pretending that nothing had happened.

When Sir Topham Hatt’s call finished, he picked up the clipboard next to him, getting ready to start the day.

But he did not see that the names were on the wrong jobs.

He stood up from his chair and turned around to Stephanie as she acted naturally.

“Come along, Stephanie.” Sir Topham Hatt spoke. “Let me give this to one of the workers and check on the rails.”

Stephanie nodded her head as she stood up, putting on a good façade as Sir Topham Hatt exited out of his office, along with Stephanie.

According to plan, Stephanie watched as Sir Topham Hatt handed the clipboard over to a worker named Albert before heading off with Sir Topham Hatt to check on the rails.

Meanwhile, Albert explained to the locomotives what they were doing, even telling Gordon that he was taking the goods train.

“A goods train?” Gordon sputtered in surprise. “A goods train?! I thought that was Henry’s job!”

“No, that was written on the job,” Albert calmly explained to Gordon. “If Sir Topham Hatt wrote your name on it, you have to work on it.”

Gordon groaned his trademark, “Oh, the indignity…” before whistling and going off to do the job he loathed the most.

Henry was also confused when he got the job of pulling the express but shrugged, deciding to take the job and going to Knapford to pull the express.

Since it was a small change, Henry did Gordon’s job well and went to every station, delivering the passengers to their stations.

But Gordon was irritated aside from Henry.

He had to pull long trucks filled with goods, even having to get his paintwork dirty at one point to help haul trucks of slates.

When he stopped near where his branch line was, he saw Henry going down the line, calling, “Express coming through!”

“That’s my line!” Gordon called, feeling less prideful and embarrassed.

As he continued pulling trucks, Gordon sometimes met Rebecca, who was pulling trucks too.

She noticed the expression on his face when they stopped to get a refill of water and coal, asking, “What’s wrong, Gordon? You look miserable.”

“I am,” Gordon groaned. “Sir Topham Hatt resigned me to pull the goods as Henry is taking the express.”

“Well, a little change would not hurt, Gordon,” Rebecca assured Gordon, as he perked a bit from being miserable. “You are doing an excellent job of helping me around!”

“I am?” Gordon asked, his expression changing a little.

“Yes,” Rebecca nodded before whistling after her water was full. “I’ll see you soon, Gordon!”

With that, Gordon watched as she went to pull more trucks, smiling a little with pride after she assured him.

So Gordon continued with his work, with some complaints here and there.

But he just went with the work to finish it as quickly as he could to get his old job back.

But his complaining seemed to get him in trouble with one of them.

The worker told him he had to pull some goods to Ulfstead Castle, which had the more lively Troublesome Trucks.

Gordon grumbled about taking the Troublesome Trucks, which made them feel disrespected about it.

So they hatched a plan to teach the ‘Galloping Sausage’ a lesson about dissing the Troublesome Trucks.

As Gordon delivered the trucks to Ulfstead Castle, they started rattling and bashing around, giggling along the way to annoy him.

“Biff and bash, biff and bash!” they giggled as they moved around, bumping into the back of Gordon’s tender repeatedly.

That seemed to work, as Gordon fumed with anger, deciding to teach them a lesson.

When he went up his hill to go to Ulfstead Castle and was going down the other side, the trucks instantly went into his tender again, calling, “On! On! On! Faster! Faster!”

Gordon yelped when he noticed he was going a little too fast down his hill. 

He tried screeching into a halt to stop himself, but then there was trouble!

There was a rock on the rails, and Gordon hit that rock, causing him to be derailed from it and crash against the siting, as trucks flew everywhere, spreading all the goods all over the place.

Gordon was covered in dirt and was lying on his side, and luckily, no one else was hurt.

“Oh, the indignity…” He groaned, feeling sore and annoyed.

His driver and fireman went to call for help, as Gordon was lying there, feeling less prideful of himself.

Something blue with brown appeared from the forest in front of him, causing him to look up and notice Stephanie.

“Stephanie?” Gordon asked with confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“I was in the forest when you crashed,” Stephanie explained, sounding concerned for him. “Are you alright?”

“Feeling fine and dandy.” Gordon huffed, sarcastically speaking to her. “What do you think I am in?! I have crashed and got covered in dirt!”

“Well, at least you didn’t go into mud,” Stephanie huffed in return as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Gordon opened his mouth to protest before closing it, understanding that it was best to crash into dirt rather than mud.

“Fair,” Gordon nodded.

Then he watched Stephanie walk around him, confusing him a little as he asked, “What are you doing now?”

“Looking for something to flag one of the locomotives,” Stephanie explained as she looked around.

Then she noticed a flag in Gordon’s cab after climbing onto his undercarriage using her hands and feet.

“Be careful with your hands and feet!” Gordon blushed as he flinched a little. “I’m sensitive there!”

“Sorry.” Stephanie apologized before entering his cab with a yelp. “I’m okay!”

She rummaged around in his cab after climbing into it as Gordon waited for her to return.

Then she climbed out and jumped down on the ground after finding a red flag inside in her hand.

“Do you know what that flag means?” Gordon asked, sounding concerned for her not understanding which is which to use.

“Yes,” Stephanie nodded. “The red flag in my hand means to slow down or stop, and green flags mean to go.”

This seemed to impress Gordon a little after Stephanie explained, before walking to the tracks and waving the red flag to the oncoming locomotives.

One of them was Rebecca, who noticed what had happened to Gordon.

“Gordon?” Rebecca asked as she came over to him. “What happened?”

“I went too fast down my hill, Rebecca,” Gordon explained to her, blushing a little with shame. “Can you fetch Rocky?”

“Of course!” Rebecca smiled. “Let me go deliver these trucks and fetch Rocky!”

With that, she whistled her whistle and puffed off, pulling a long line of trucks behind her.

Stephanie continued waving her flag to warn other locomotives about Gordon’s crash, surprising his driver and fireman when they came, forgetting to stay with him in case others have crashed into his trucks or him.

As soon as Rocky arrived, Stephanie handed the flags to Gordon’s driver and fireman, watching as he carefully lifted Gordon from the dirt and back onto the tracks.

Once he was back on the tracks with his tender connected, Gordon went to the Steamworks to check if there was any damage to him, as Rebecca decided to take his goods train to Ulfstead Castle.

After the day had ended, Gordon told the others about his witness with Stephanie’s knowledge of knowing which flag was which, even saving others if they crashed into his trucks or himself.

“That was remarkably brave of Stephanie!” Edward remarked. “But, how did Stephanie know which flag is which?”

“Maybe she was watching the guard using each flag?” Toby suggested. “She has been sometimes with Sir Topham Hatt whenever he is at Knapford.”

“That could be it!” Gordon perked before noticing Sir Topham Hatt’s car coming into the sheds, with Stephanie inside.

“What happened?” Sir Topham Hatt asked. “Did you and Henry decide to switch jobs?”

“No, sir,” Henry spoke. “I was confused when it happened, and we thought it was you.”

“I would do it if one of you two were troublesome!” Sir Topham Hatt explained. “It wasn’t Albert either since he was outside the entire time, and Stephanie…”

His voice trailed off when he noticed _ Stephanie _ was in the office with him, asking as he turned his attention to her, “Stephanie. Did you change the jobs between Henry and Gordon?”

Stephanie paused a little as she looked at a confused Gordon, answering, “Yes, because Gordon kept teasing me all the time.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, saying, “I didn’t like being reminded of my mistakes all the time or pointed out how ‘dumb’ I was being here before. So, I thought a little change with the list could sort things out, not the accident.”

Gordon’s cheeks blushed a little after Stephanie pointed out, as Sir Topham Hatt listened to Stephanie’s words.

“Well, consider that as a little punishment for teasing too much,” Sir Topham Hatt nodded. “But, how did you manage to write in my handwriting, Stephanie?”

“I have been practicing writing in different handwritings before,” Stephanie responded as she blushed, gently rubbing her right ring finger. “So your handwriting was easy to copy and busy with the call.”

Sir Topham Hatt slowly nodded after Stephanie explained, before saying, “Well, that was clever of you, but next time, tell me with your problems instead of taking matters into your hands.”

“Yes, sir.” nodded Stephanie before turning to Gordon. “Sorry about the crash, though. It wasn’t my intention to make such a dangerous scheme.”

“It’s fine, Stephanie.” Gordon chuckled. “You saved me and others from a more dangerous situation than others!”

Stephanie’s blush reached the tip of her ears, which seemed to perk Gordon’s attention.

“Ah, you’re almost as red as James!” Gordon teased gently.

“Well, yes,” Stephanie nodded. “I can’t say the same to you when Rebecca was talking to you while working with her.”

At this point, Gordon’s entire face turned red as a tomato, as Rebecca’s blush was only on her cheeks.

“He was?” Thomas cheekily asked, glancing over at him.

“Er, excuse me.” Gordon pardoned himself as he went into his shed as the doors closed, as the team laughed a little as Rebecca did the same.

Now it was his turn to be teased about his ‘conversations’ with Rebecca.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	21. Relatives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the incident with Gordon, Sir Topham Hatt surprised Stephanie with an unsuspected surprise...

A few weeks have passed since Gordon learned his lesson from teasing too much, and Gordon does tease, but it was not much to make someone’s feelings either hurt or angry at him.

During those weeks, Stephanie continued learning more and more about the island itself.

She read about the history, most of the famous locomotives, and the kings and queens used to rule over it.

All the legends about them seemed to perk Stephanie’s attention the most, causing her to ask many questions about the leaders, infuriating the Troublesome Trio.

They did not like how smart Stephanie was, asking many questions about them and even giving excellent answers, despite mistaking most of them.

Mason was the most irritated out of them all, claiming himself to be the smartest one out of the three.

He listened to the answers and questions Stephanie asked, scowling at her from the back of her head.

After school, Stephanie headed over to where the group was waiting for a locomotive to pick them up.

But before Stephanie could meet with the others, the Troublesome Trio came and purposely bumped into her, causing her to look over at them.

“Listen here, freak!” Mason hissed, showing rage in his eyes as he stood in front of her. “I’m the smartest person here, so you don’t ruin my opportunities!”

A confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after he hissed, asking, “What do you mean? You barely move your hand up.”

This seemed to tick Mason off more, as he yelled, “Just because you were sitting in front of me doesn’t make you look smart to push me off t-!”

Stephanie reached up with her hand and gently pinched her lips together with her two fingers, confusing him as he stopped talking.

“What makes you think I am doing that?” Stephanie asked in confusion as she shrugged. “I’m not pushing anyone around. I am just a responsible student doing schoolwork to be prepared for the future.”

That confused Mason more as she released his lips, saying, “If you want, I could move seats after asking permission from the teacher, and you could have a turn with answering questions.”

With that, Stephanie turned around and walked away, coming over to the group and meeting up with her friends, as they looked surprised that she  _ shut _ one of the Troublesome Trios.

“Are ye thon brave enouch tae dae thon tae him?” Alastair asked, sounding surprised at Stephanie’s bold move.

“Well, yes,” Stephanie bluntly answered with a shrug of her shoulders. “He wouldn’t stop complaining about how smart I am. It’s just I have learned a lot, but not enough to be like Albert Einstein.”

After answering Alastair’s question, Stephanie noticed Edward was coming to pick the kids up, seeing that nothing had happened to Stephanie, to his relief.

“Hi, Edward!” Stephanie beamed, waving her hand. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Edward answered, chuckling a little. “Climb aboard.”

Stephanie nodded and waited in line as the children boarded his coaches, having her turn to hop into the coaches.

But just as she was stepping on the coach, something made her left leg slip and caused her to trip as Stephanie yelped, but luckily grabbed the side of the cushion.

“Are you alright?!” Davi asked, reaching over to Stephanie and helping her up to her feet, sitting down on the chair.

“Yeah, my foot slipped.” Stephanie nodded, looking at her leg as the door closed.

“Och, it must’ve been ane o’ thae boys.” Alastair groaned, frowning as he crossed his arms over his chest. “They aye been doin’ thon tae everyone they hate.”

“Yes,” nodded Masahiko as Edward whistled his whistle, puffing off to Knapford. “You shouldn’t have been interacting with them  _ or _ be in the same classroom with them.”

“But I don’t think I could change classrooms, and I have to be sitting near where they are since the other seats are occupied,” Stephanie spoke as she pushed back a strand of stray brown hair. 

Alastair huffed after Stephanie mentioned, as Aleric said, “That sucks! You have to sit with someone behind you that annoys you all the time!”

“I’ve gotten used to it,” Stephanie shrugged her shoulders.

This seemed to perk Edward’s attention a little from the response from Stephanie.

He could hear the conversations since the coach they were sitting in was near where he was, and some windows were open to let fresh air in.

He figured Stephanie was going to agree with Aleric but instead had a completely different one.

“What do you mean by ‘gotten used to it?’” Davi asked, sounding a little confused. “Were you bullied before you came here?”

Stephanie went silent after Davi asked, glancing away from her friends, and looking out the window, now rubbing her left arm instead of placing it.

Edward hummed softly to himself after hearing no response from Stephanie after Davi asked, feeling more concerned about Stephanie.

As soon as he reached Knapford, he noticed Sir Topham Hatt waiting on the platform for Stephanie.

As soon as the guards opened the doors, the children ran out of the coaches and met with their parents, as Stephanie went to see Sir Topham Hatt.

“Hello, Sir!” Stephanie smiled. “How are you?”

“I am doing fine, Stephanie.” Sir Topham Hatt nodded. “I have news to tell you, though.”

Not expressing it, Stephanie’s stomach clenched with worry, asking without a stammer in her voice, “What is the news?”

“My grandchildren are coming over to visit Stephanie,” Sir Topham Hatt explained. “They are from the Mainland.”

“Oh!” Stephanie smiled, mentally relieved. “I didn’t know that you had grandchildren.”

Sir Topham Hatt chuckled and gently placed his hand on her back, saying, “Why don’t you go back to the mansion with Lady Hatt to get changed and come back here to meet them?”

Stephanie’s curiosity grew a little when he mentioned someone named ‘Lady Hatt,’ but nodded her head, feeling excited to meet his grandchildren.

As soon as Lady Hatt arrived, who was surprisingly different from Sir Topham Hatt to Stephanie’s confusion.

Not only that, but she was as well as beautiful too.

She has fair skin with shoulder-length brown hair and chocolate brown eye color.

She wore a blue dress combined with a white trim sweater with a pink heart pin, matching shoes, and a matching hat with a pink hatband and a matching flower.

Lady Hatt took Stephanie back to the mansion to get herself changed back into her usual clothes, still a little surprised and impressed that a gentle but beautiful lady decided to marry a stout gentleman.

Once she was changed, Stephanie was excited to meet Sir Topham Hatt’s grandchildren, going back downstairs to meet Lady Hatt again.

“Excited to see someone?” Alice asked as Stephanie walked.

“Yes, Alice,” Stephanie nodded with a smile on her face. “I am going to meet Sir Topham Hatt’s grandchildren.”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Alice smiled. “You get to meet someone who is your age!”

‘They are both at my age?’ Stephanie curiously thought to herself before meeting Lady Hatt again.

Lady Hatt and Stephanie returned to Knapford after Stephanie changed from her school uniform, seeing Sir Topham Hatt with two children she had not seen before.

The first grandchild was a girl, and she has fair skin, short brown hair, and light brown eye color.

She wore a pink dress over a white blouse with white pants and black slippers.

The second grandchild was a boy, and he had fair skin, short brown hair, and medium brown eye color.

He wore a white shirt with a black tie, and a green jacket, with light green pants and black shoes.

Stephanie’s shyness came to her, and Stephanie hid behind Lady Hatt, confusing her a little along with the grandchildren.

“Stephanie,” Sir Topham Hatt smiled as he mentioned a hand to the two children next to him. “These two are my grandchildren, Stephen and Bridget Hatt.”

“Hello,” Bridget greeted.

Stephanie blushed a little shyly as she waved a hand at them, peeking a little from behind Lady Hatt’s legs.

“This is Stephanie,” Lady Hatt spoke. “She was staying with Topham after being separated from her foster-father.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Stephen asked, sounding concerned.

“He’s fine, Stephen,” Sir Topham Hatt spoke. “He is going to come here for a few months or more.”

Stephanie glanced down for a moment after Lady Hatt explained to a curious Stephen before walking around Lady Hatt, moving her hands behind her back.

Her long hair was pushed back to reveal her face, but her blush seemed to fog her glasses a little.

“Look, Grandfather,” chuckled Stephen. “Her glasses are foggy!”

Stephanie blushed more after Stephen pointed out, stammering, “S-Sorry, it happens when I blushed.”

After the introduction, Lady Hatt took Stephanie, Bridget, and Stephen to play in the park, which seemed to confuse Stephanie a little, considering that she had not played in a park for a long time.

Once they got there, Stephen and Bridget went to play, as Stephanie stood there, looking confused about what she would do while Lady Hatt was talking with some of her friends.

Bridget noticed the confused expression on Stephanie’s face, walking back up to her, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I… don’t know how to play,” Stephanie confessed, ducking her head down a little.

“You don’t?” Bridget asked, sounding confused.

Stephanie shook her head no, feeling ashamed of herself for the lack of playing games since she was homeschooled for a long time.

Bridget thought to herself after Stephanie confessed to her before an idea popped into her head.

“I know!” Bridget smiled. “Why don’t you follow me to the playground? We can play hide-and-seek there!”

Stephanie looked curious and confused after Bridget mentioned ‘hide-and-seek’ before nodding her head, saying, “Okay.”

Bridget took Stephanie’s wrist with a hand and started gently leading her to the playground, noticing that there was a good portion of children there.

When she came over to them, the children noticed the ‘odd’ girl, looking confused about who she was, as Stephanie blushed with shyness, only a little that it did ot fog her glasses.

“Uh, Bridget?” one of the girls asked. “Who is she?”

“What funny clothes she wears.” a boy spoke, taking the sleeve of her sweater and looking at it. “She looks like she is one of the army men.”

“I-I’m not.” Stephanie fumbled, blushing shyly as the boy released her sleeve. “I just like the sweater, and… it reminds me of dad…”

“Your dad was in the army?” a girl asked as Stephanie nodded her head. “From where?”

“America,” Stephanie answered, perking a little.

“You’re an American?” Stephen asked with surprise.

Stephanie nodded her head again after he asked, glancing away from them and rubbing her left arm, blushing more.

“She doesn’t know how to play,” Bridget spoke as she explained to them. “Can you help her?”

The group paused a little after Bridget spoke, before one of them said, “Sure! What game should we start with?”

“Hide-and-seek.” Bridget smiled as she suggested. “It’s an easy game!”

Stephanie smiled a little after Bridget suggested hide-and-seek, wanting to play the game to understand how.

The children agreed and chose one of the girls to be ‘it,’ and she started counting.

Just as the children ran to hide, one of them explained to Stephanie that she has to hide in a hiding spot before the countdown ends, and the last one found wins the game.

This seemed to make Stephanie excited, as she dashed off to hide along with the boy who explained the game to her.

Stephanie glanced around for any ideas of hiding, not deciding to hide in a hole to make things difficult for her or the player, or any other dangerous things.

So, Stephanie noticed a small ‘room’ underneath the stairway and squeezed herself into it, making herself tiny.

Luckily, no one else was inside with her, as she watched the girl.

“…Twenty-nine, thirty!” the girl called. “Ready or not, here I come!”

Stephanie went back to where she was hiding, liking the game already as she watched the girl look around.

The girl found Bridget, one of the boys, some girls, and Stephen, but could not find Stephanie, the last one.

“Stephanie?” Bridget called. “Where are you?”

Just after Bridget called, Stephanie crawled herself out from the playground’s stairs, saying, “I’m here!”

They glanced over at Stephanie after she called, looking surprised to see Stephanie there.

“How did you get underneath there?” a boy asked with confusion and bewilderment.

“I squeezed myself in there.” Stephanie chuckled as she mentioned it. “Since I am a little shorter and thinner, it’s easy for me to fit.”

“Why didn’t I think of that!” chuckled a boy as the other laughed.

“Did I win?” Stephanie politely asked, cocking her head to the side.

They glanced at each other after Stephanie asked, before nodding their heads, saying, “Yes, you won!”

Stephanie beamed after nodding their heads as they said, pointing to her, “And you’re ‘it!’”

A confused expression appeared on her face for a moment before smiling and shrugged, turning around and starting the countdown.

As they played, Stephanie enjoyed the games they played, from tug-a-war to tag, even guessing games too with cartoons, although Stephanie did not understand most of them.

After playing tetherball, the group was tired from running around and playing games, as Stephanie was thrilled.

“That was the most fun day I have ever had!” Stephanie beamed.

“I agree!” nodded one of the boys.

“Bridget! Stephen! Stephanie!” Bridget, Stephen, and Stephanie perked after hearing their names called, seeing Lady Hatt waiting for them. “It’s time to go!”

“Aw!” the other kids complained after hearing that their new friends were going to have to leave.

“Don’t worry!” Stephanie smiled. “We’ll come here some other day and play games again!”

The kids beamed after Stephanie assured them, before being tackled in a hug by Bridget and Stephen.

Stephanie felt confused for a moment from the hug before shrugging her shoulders and hugging back with the group.

“Bridget! Stephen! Stephanie!” Lady Hatt called again.

“Coming!” Stephanie called back after the hug was released, running over to her with Bridget and Stephen behind.

Once they were close to Lady Hatt after being called, they started heading back to Knapford to meet Sir Topham Hatt again when Stephanie noticed that something large and fluffy was coming towards them.

Instantly, Stephanie moved her arm forward and stopped Stephen and Bridget, even taking Lady Hatt’s hand.

“What?” A low growl caught their attention as they glanced forward, seeing a massive  _ Tibetan Mastiff. _

Its fur was in a brown and tan color with bits of black, growling at them as it was baring its teeth at them, getting ready to lunge at them.

“Don’t look at its eyes!” Stephanie whispered, glancing away along with the three. “Slowly turn your body around, don’t run, and stay here.”

They did so as Stephanie eased Bridget and Stephan to Lady Hatt as she took them.

She looked concerned and startled when Stephanie started  _ slowly walking towards the massive and fluffy dog. _

“What are you doing?!” Lady Hatt softly hissed.

“Shh.” Stephanie gently shushed her, glancing slightly over at the Tibetan Mastiff, but not directly at the eyes.

The Tibetan Mastiff had stopped growling when it noticed Stephanie was slowly easing herself towards it, not looking at the eyes.

Then she stopped only a foot away from it, still not looking at it.

Surprisingly, the massive dog did stop growling when she stood in front of it before starting to sniff Stephanie, sniffing her hand a little, before moving up to her chest and neck, then face.

Lady Hatt covered Bridget’s and Stephen’s eyes, worried that the dog might attack her at this point, not wanting them to see the horror she is about to witness.

But instead, heard… chuckling?

Sure enough, when Lady Hatt opened her eyes to see what had happened, she was only surprised when she saw that the massive dog was licking Stephanie with its enormous tongue and wagging its tail.

“Grandmother?” Stephen asked, sounding confused. “What’s going on?”

“It’s okay!” Stephanie chuckled as she reached up with her hand, gently scratching the dog’s ear. “The Tibetan Mastiff was just startled! Nothing wrong!”

A surprised expression appeared on Lady Hatt’s face as she witnessed  _ Stephanie taming what seemed to be a wild animal. _

Stephanie continued petting the massive animal with her hands, giggling a little when it licked her face, even nudging her with its snout.

“Would one of you come over here?” Stephanie asked, only for Lady Hatt to shake her head no, moving down and wrapping her arms around her grandchildren.

Stephanie paused a little after seeing that they would not trust a massive dog before turning to the dog and commanded, “Sit.”

The dog did as it was told and sat before Stephanie commanded, “Down.” and it lay down on its underside, staring up at Stephanie.

After commanding the dog to sit, Stephanie turned around to Lady Hatt, Bridget and Stephen, asking, “Now would you like to come closer?”

Lady Hatt paused a little after Stephanie asked, before gasping when Stephen started walking up to Stephanie and the massive dog.

“Stephen, wait,” Stephanie spoke as he stopped a foot away from her. “You don’t walk like that to dogs. First, avert your eyes and slowly approach the dog. You’ll agitate him if you continue scaring him like that.”

Stephen nodded his head after Stephanie warned him before doing as he was told.

He slowly turned his body to the side and averted his eyes from the dog before gently inching himself towards it.

The dog moved its head up when it noticed one of the humans approaching, not looking at him or walking up at him fast.

“Okay,” Stephanie softly said to him. “Don’t make loud noises and wait until he sniffs you.”

Stephen nodded his head, and Stephanie glanced over at the patient Tibetan Mastiff before saying, “Come.”

The dog stood up on its paws and slowly walked up to Stephen, as he went stiff as a rock, keeping his eyes away from it.

It first sniffed Stephen’s hand that was the first out, smelling what seemed to be… cats.

The dog then sniffed Stephen’s chest and face, as his breathing hitched a little, feeling worried about getting his face bitten off.

But instead, the dog wagged its tail and started licking him gently, confusing him a little.

“Okay,” Stephanie smiled as Stephen shakily sighed in relief. “You’re clear to pet him.”

Stephen paused a little from petting such a giant dog, but his curiosity got to him, and he slowly reached up with a hand, gently patting the head of the dog, before stretching it.

“Want to have a turn, Bridget?” Bridget paused a little after Stephanie asked before nodding her head and repeating the same thing as her brother did.

Once she had passed, Bridget went to pat the dog, too, surprised at how  _ fluffy _ it was compared to a cat.

Lady Hatt stammered as she knelt a little to Stephanie’s height, “How on ear-earth did you learn to approach wild dogs?”

“My foster-father had many trained dogs before,” Stephanie whispered back to her, watching as the two patted the giant dog. “So, I learned how to approach dogs and even tame them.”

Lady Hatt gently nodded her head a little after Stephanie explained before recoiling a little as the dog approached her, glancing away from the eyes.

Rather than being bitten, the dog gently sniffed her hand a little before licking it, causing her to be confused from the change of trusting humans.

“See?” Stephanie giggled, reaching over with a hand. “Simba is friendly after getting to know some people around.”

“‘Simba?’” Stephen asked. “You mean like the lion from the movie  _ The _ _ Lion King? _ ”

Stephanie paused a little from Stephen’s question, responding, “I don’t remember seeing a movie called ‘ _ The Lion King, _ ’ but I like calling him that because he looked like a lion! And that’s the meaning of the name in Swahili.”

Stephen and Bridget giggled after Stephanie explained as she started feeling around the giant dog with her hands as her expression looked thoughtful.

“What are you looking for?” Lady Hatt politely asked.

“I’m looking for Simba’s microchip,” Stephanie explained. “It’s where we can find his owner, but… I don’t feel any chips.”

“How?” Bridget curiously asked, reaching over and trying to feel what Stephanie was doing.

“Well,” Stephanie explained. “The microchips are about rice-sized and embedded in their perspex coat, which is the undercoats of their skin.”

She used her fingers to show how big the chip was, impressing Lady Hatt as she listened to Stephanie’s explanations.

“The only way you can feel it is by using your fingers around the neck at the centerline between the shoulder blades,” Stephanie explained, showing the back of Simba as he sat. “But I felt nothing. I think the dog had been abandoned a long time ago.”

Lady Hatt paused a little after Stephanie explained, before Stephanie asked, “Lady Hatt? Do you mind if I take care of Simba?”

“Are you certain?” Lady Hatt asked with worry. “Taking care of a dog twice your height would be a challenge for you and… I’m more concerned about how dangerous he could be in Topham’s mansion.”

Stephanie paused a little after Lady Hatt explained, before saying, “If you want and for the safety of your husband, I suggest keeping Simba in my room. I can take care of him since I took care of my foster-father’s dogs a long time ago.”

This made Dowager Hatt pause a little after Stephanie explained, knowing that arguing with her would not sort things out and how connected she had with the massive dog, Lady Hatt said, sighing a little, “Yes, you may keep Simba. But we need to get him a dog tag and a chip.”

Stephanie beamed happily after Lady Hatt agreed, taking them and the dog to the vet, where the dog was calm as it got its chip, along with a massive collar that had his name on it.

Once Stephanie got Simba his collar and micro-chipped, they headed back to Knapford to meet up with Sir Topham Hatt.

Sir Topham Hatt was getting out of his office just as they came to the station, only to be startled when he and his helpers noticed Simba.

“Ah, Simba!” Stephanie yelped, tugging Simba’s collar as he started dragging her towards Sir Topham Hatt and his guards. “Down!”

Luckily, Simba stopped in front of Sir Topham Hatt after dragging Stephanie towards him, sniffing his hand with curiosity.

“Sorry about him, sir.” Stephanie chuckled with a slight blush. “He was just curious.”

“Where did you find him?” Sir Topham Hatt, as Stephanie commanded him to lie down, which he did.

“Me, Bridget, Stephen, and Lady Hatt were walking back to the car when Simba came around the corner, startled, and started defending himself,” Stephanie explained, releasing Simba’s collar.

Little did she know, Thomas was entering the station when he discovered Simba lying next to Stephanie, looking surprised to see a massive and fluffy dog, along with the Troublesome Trio.

“I managed to calm him down before any harm came to anyone else,” Stephanie explained, as Simba glanced over at them.

Sir Topham Hatt sighed in relief and said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “I am appreciated that you saved my wife and my grandchildren from such a… dog that was protecting itself.”

“You’re welcome, sir!” Stephanie smiled, nodding her head gently, and did not notice that the dog had walked away from her.

Simba was now sniffing the door of Thomas’ cab, looking curious about what could be behind it.

The Troublesome Trio on the platform was behind the cab’s door, looking afraid as Thomas’s driver looked worried and confused.

“Err, about Simba,” Thomas spoke, startling Stephanie a little as she flinched, before turning around.

She noticed Simba sniffing his cab and was now on his hind legs, poking his head through the window as squeals of surprise came from inside.

“Ah! Simba!” Stephanie called, blushing with embarrassment. “Down!”

Simba heard Stephanie calling him and turned his attention to Stephanie, getting down from the door and walking up to her.

“You silly!” Stephanie giggled as she scratched the ears of the giant dog. “What were you doing?”

Thomas’s cab door opened slightly to reveal the Troublesome Trio before hiding when the dog glanced over at them.

“Oh, sorry, guys!” Stephanie chuckled a little. “Are you three okay?”

Mason, Jason, and William glanced at each other after Stephanie asked, as Mason bravely spoke, “Y-Yes, we’re fine! We were just a little startled from that… thing.”

“Excuse you, but Simba is a Tibetan Mastiff,” Stephanie huffed as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Oh, that’s wonderful…” William winced as the dog leaned a little forward to smell them.

Stephanie patted Simba’s back and spent the rest of the day in his office as Sir Topham Hatt worked.

Bridget and Stephen asked questions about Stephanie’s experience with America, as she answered them the best she could.

They even asked about what type of dogs her foster-father has, which she responded that she does not remember since she had been separated.

Throughout the day, Stephanie was perky with his grandchildren, asking questions about their experiences about being in the Mainland and answering their questions in return.

It seems excellent to see Stephanie happy to meet someone around her age, but there are still some mysteries lying behind her that no one else is looking into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	22. The Culdee Fell Railway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie and Sir Topham Hatt goes to visit an old friend of his, but, Stephanie learns that there is more to the railway than it was...

Stephanie was just sitting in Sir Topham Hatt’s office as he was doing work, just doing some homework that she needed to do for the next week since it was due.

A few times, Stephanie would push her hair back from her face and continue with what she was doing.

She would even push her glasses into place at times, too.

After the last page of her homework was finished, Stephanie placed the pages back into her binder and back into her backpack, thinking to herself of what she could do next after finishing her homework.

The phone rang, and Stephanie perked before smirking gently to herself as she counted with her fingers, hearing an ‘Oh, bother that telephone…’ when she got to the three-minute mark.

A soft giggle came from her after waiting for the response from Sir Topham Hatt about the telephone.

Then, she decided to listen a little to the conversation from him.

Although she did want to carve something in some wood, Stephanie denied that in her mind.

Because it would leave a mess on either the ground or in her backpack and get herself into trouble with Sir Topham Hatt, too.

“Oh, hello!” Stephanie snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Sir Topham Hatt’s voice, listening to the conversation from him. “Mr. Richards?”

A soft, confused expression appeared on her face when she heard the name ‘Mr. Richards,’ thinking that it was one of Sir Topham Hatt’s friendly conductors.

“It has been years!” Stephanie continued to listen to Sir Topham Hatt, feeling curious by the minute. “How are you?”

The call lasted a few minutes, but Stephanie heard something about ‘coming to visit’ and ‘won’t take too long.’

After it finished, Sir Topham Hatt stood up from his chair, and Stephanie asked, “Who’s Mr. Richards?”

Somehow, Stephanie’s curious question seemed to startle Sir Topham Hatt as he flinched, turning around and noticing that it was her.

“Oh,” he sighed, placing a hand on his chest. “You startled me!”

“I’m sorry, Sir.” Stephanie sheepishly apologized as she blushed. “I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

Sir Topham Hatt chuckled a little after Stephanie apologized to him, before assuring her after walking up to her after she stood up from her chair, “It’s fine, Stephanie. But I have good news!”

“Is it about this ‘Mr. Richards?’” Stephanie asked curiously, cocking her head to the side a little.

“Yes,” Sir Topham Hatt nodded his head, mostly knowing that Stephanie had listened to his conversation. “Mr. Richards is an old friend of mine and my father before me. It has been a long time since meeting him at the Culdee Fell Railway. I think you would like to see him and his railway!”

“I sure do!” Stephanie excitedly smiled as she gently knocked her knuckles together. “The railway sounds like an impressive place to be at!”

Sir Topham Hatt nodded her head in agreement and led Stephanie outside as she followed behind him with curiosity and excitement.

But before she could leave, Stephanie picked up her backpack from next to her chair, placing it on her back as she followed.

She had never heard of the Culdee Fell Railway but felt excited about what the locomotives looked like there.

Stephanie even wonders to herself about what the railway would look like too!

Once they were standing outside Sir Topham Hatt’s office, Stephanie felt confused about what they were waiting for until Gordon appeared at the station.

Stephanie remembers the last time she tried boarding Gordon’s coaches when he appeared at the docks, thinking that the same person would be there and push her again.

But, to her luck, the same man was not there standing near where they were.

Just to clarify, Stephanie took Sir Topham Hatt’s hand in worrying about repeating the same incident again.

Sir Topham Hatt glanced over at Stephanie after feeling her take his hand but went back to what he was doing, knowing that she felt a little uncomfortable with all the people standing around her.

The guards opened the doors, and most of the workers, allowing people to step out from the coaches as new people stepped inside.

Stephanie felt a little crowded as people entered Gordon’s coaches before sitting in a seat next to Sir Topham Hatt, still holding his hand with the worry of accidentally separating.

Once everyone was seated, the doors closed, and the whistle blew as Gordon did the same with his whistle.

Gordon puffed forward, and the coaches behind him did the same, following behind him as he exited the station.

Stephanie felt half worried about crashing, but with the assuring grip of Sir Topham Hatt’s hand, Stephanie’s post-traumatic stress disorder died down a little.

However, there were still bits of her anxiety mingling into her post traumatic stress disorder.

Gordon stopped at Crosby after a few minutes passed, and his passengers were dropped off there before picking up new passengers as Stephanie watched with curiosity.

Mostly, Stephanie liked the ride, feeling the rocking and the gentle tremors of the rails.

It felt like she was in her mother’s arms again, gently rocked back and forth as a gentle song was singing from her.

As much as Stephanie wanted to think more about her parents, she shook her head a little and went back to reality.

However, Sir Topham Hatt seemed to notice a slight change to Stephanie’s personality as she sat next to him, seeing that she remembered something from her past, but shook it off and went back to reality.

Did she remember something in her past about her family?

Instead of asking her what she saw, Sir Topham Hatt instead went silent, deciding to have a conversation with Dowager Hatt once they got back from the Culdee Fell Railway.

Once the new passengers were seated in their seats, Gordon heard the guard’s whistle and whistled in return before exiting Crosby.

During the ride, Gordon stopped at Wellsworth, dropping off passengers and picking up new ones, hearing the whistle from the conductor.

Gordon returned with his whistle and puffed out of the station.

Stephanie thought to herself about Gordon, wondering how long Gordon had been working on the mainline, watching as he stopped at Maron, Cronk, and Kildane.

Once they had stopped at Kildane, Sir Topham Hatt suddenly stood up, causing Stephanie to stand up too.

“Is this our stop?” Stephanie politely asked.

Sir Topham Hatt nodded his head after Stephanie asked him as they stepped off from Gordon’s coaches.

“Yes, now we are going to ride in James’ coaches to Kirk Machan.” Sir Topham Hatt explained to her as Stephanie nodded her head in agreement.

They waited for James to come as they stood on the platform, before hearing, “Herrrre’s James!”

Stephanie smiled after noticing James as his passengers exited out of his coaches, looking a little bumped up.

“Again, James?” Sir Topham Hatt mumbled to himself. “I’ll have a conversation with him later.”

Stephanie giggled a little after Sir Topham Hatt mumbled before boarding James’ coaches.

It was a little tighter than Gordon’s coaches, but it was enough for him and her to fit inside without having to be stuffed inside.

Once Sir Topham Hatt, Stephanie, and everyone else was in James’ coaches, James hears his guard’s whistle and whistled in return before exiting the station.

Unlike in Gordon’s coaches, James puffed a little quicker than him and caused his coaches to be jostled a little, as Stephanie flinched a little.

Sir Topham Hatt looked unamused after being jostled a little but had a hand on Stephanie’s chest from being accidentally flung forward.

The ride to Kirk Machan station was a little jostling and bumpy, but Stephanie enjoyed it, other than Sir Topham Hatt, who made a mental note to speak to James.

Once they had reached the station, like last time, James screeched into the station instead of slowing down like Gordon, causing Stephanie to yelp a little as belongs went flying.

“Ohh, James.” Sir Topham Hatt hissed, removing his hand from Stephanie’s chest after protecting her from being flung forward.

Stephanie shakily chuckled a little after Sir Topham Hatt hissed, never seeing him this annoyed about an engine screeching instead of slowing down, but was worried about being in the way.

As they exited his coaches, Stephanie paused a little as she looked around at where they were, seeing that they were almost close to a mountain.

“The railway is a mountain?” Stephanie asked, her voice sounding surprised.

“Yes, and climbers climb up there.” James nodded, mentioning to climbers that have stepped out of his coaches. “Even the engines that work there too!”

‘Holy moly, that’s brave of them!’ Stephanie thought to herself, looking up at the mountain from Sir Topham Hatt and James.

While Sir Topham Hatt was lightly scolding James for screeching into the station without slowing down, Stephanie was staring at the mountains with curiosity, wondering what type of locomotives had worked there.

But Stephanie paused a little from looking away from the mountain, noticing that there was something... purple coming down the rails on the side.

‘What’s that?’ Stephanie thought to herself as she lifted a hand up over her eyes, squinting more to get a better look at what it was.

She took a step forward to look more to the mountain to see what was the purple object coming down from the side before hearing, “Excuse me?”

Stephanie flinched after hearing a voice from someone behind her, before looking over to see who spoke.

To her surprise, it was a locomotive, but a little different from the narrow gauge engines or the minis.

The locomotive is painted in the same color as the one from the mountain.

The locomotive’s basis was a Snowdon Mountain Railway’s  _ Snowdon _ , which is an unusual basis Stephanie had seen before.

The locomotive is painted purple with an orange lining, with the number four painted on the sides and back of his cab in yellow.

He has a red nameplate with a gold border on each side of his tanks with the name ‘Culdee’ on them, also in gold.

“Who are you?” he asked, cocking a little to the side. “And what are you doing standing here alone?”

“‘Alone?’” Stephanie asked in confusion, turning around only to see that Sir Topham Hatt  _ was not standing behind her, scolding James. _ “Oh, not again.”

Stephanie gently facepalmed herself with irritation at the fact that she was accidentally forgotten again.

“What do you mean ‘not again?’” he asked with confusion. “Were you with someone?”

Stephanie turned back around to the locomotive and said, answering his question, “Yes, I was with Sir Topham Hatt. Do you know where he went?”

He paused a little after Stephanie asked, before answering, “No, not really.”

Stephanie softly groaned after he answered, facepalming again as she rubbed her nose bridge from underneath her glasses.

“But I can help you find Sir Topham Hatt!” he perked with a gentle smile on his face. “Do you know what does he look like?”

Stephanie perked from the little locomotive’s gentleness before nodding her head, describing, “He is a stout gentleman with no hair, brown eyes, and wears a uniform, almost like Mr. Percival.”

He nodded after Stephanie explained to him as his cab’s door opened as his fireman stepped out to her.

“I think I do know where Mr. Percival is with him.” he smiled. “Climb aboard.”

Stephanie smiled and allowed his driver to pick her up from the ground before boarding his cab.

Once he was inside, his driver placed Stephanie back down and went to start him up, as he whistled his whistle and puffed away from the station.

As he was puffing away, Stephanie glanced back at the mountain to see if the locomotive was still there.

But to her confusion, it was not there anymore.

Without asking the locomotive or his driver or fireman, Stephanie instead went silent as she stayed in the cab with her arms around his driver’s legs for protection, watching as he puffed down the line.

“Oh, I forgot to ask,” the locomotive said as Stephanie glanced over to him. “What’s your name?”

“Stephanie,” Stephanie answered with a smile. “Stephanie Allen. You?”

“My name is Culdee.” he smiled politely. “Although, I thought you were this Sir Topham Hatt’s daughter.”

Stephanie chuckled after Culdee asked, saying, “No, I am not his daughter. I am just staying over at his mansion for the time being since… well, accidentally being separated back in America.”

Culdee instantly screeched to a halt when he came to a switch box, startling Stephanie as she yelped, moving her hands up a little as his driver placed a hand on her head for protection.

“‘Accidentally being separated?’” Culdee repeated with a surprised tone in his voice. “How on earth did it happen?”

Stephanie went silent after Culdee asked, hugging his driver’s legs a little more, murmuring, “I… can’t remember.”’

This seemed to make Culdee a little more confused about her before glancing back at the light, seeing that it had switched to green.

He whistled his whistle and continued down the line, entering a station Stephanie had never seen before.

It was filled with some locomotives almost the same as him, but a little different to her curiosity.

Culdee stopped near the shed, and his driver opened his cab’s door as Stephanie lifted her arms up a bit to let his driver pick her up.

She did not mind it since the last time she was picked up, imagining herself as a rabbit compared to others.

“Wait right here as I go look for him, okay?” Culdee spoke. “Once I find him, I’ll come back over here and pick you up.”

Stephanie nodded her head after Culdee explained to her before whistling his whistle and puffing off, leaving Stephanie standing at the shed’s entrance.

After Culdee left for a few minutes, a different engine appeared from the corner of her eye, startling her a little.

But she instead relaxed when she noticed it was an engine like Culdee, except a little different.

His basis is a Snowdon Mountain Railway’s No. 4  _ Snowdon _ like Culdee, but with side blades.

He is painted in a Chinese-orange with African-black lining and side blades. 

His buffer beams are painted lime-green and gold nameplates with the name ‘Chang Tai’ and numbers on a black background drop on either side with the number seven.

There was Chinese writing underneath his nameplates, which could either read his name or something else.

“你好!” he greeted Stephanie in Chinese.

Stephanie was hesitant at first but responded to him in Chinese, “嗯, 你好?”

The Chinese locomotive perked after hearing her speak fluently in Chinese, eagerly puffing forward and asked, “你也是中国人吗? 太好了, 您叫什么名字?”

Stephanie smiled a little with nervousness, but eventually answered, “抱歉, 我不是中国人. 但是, 我叫斯蒂芬妮, 斯蒂芬妮·艾伦.”

The Chinese locomotive made a mention with his body as if he shrugged, saying as he bowed to her as she did the same thing to him, “可以, 但是很高兴认识你, 斯蒂芬妮! 是什么把你带到了科尔迪费尔铁路?”

“Topham Hatt爵士不小心把我抛在了后面,” Stephanie answered as she ducked her head down a little, rubbing the back of her neck with a hand. “我认为这是我的错, 因为我分心了.”

The Chinese locomotive paused a little after Stephanie sighed, responding as he spoke in fluent English, “It’s not your fault you were separated, Stephanie. It was only an accident, and there was no one to blame.”

Despite the accent in his voice, Stephanie was a little surprised at how fluent he spoke.

“谢-谢你, 长泰.” Stephanie thanked in Chinese, politely bowing to him.

The Chinese locomotive did the same after Stephanie thanked him in Chinese before noticing a snobbish locomotive was coming over to where they are.

The locomotive’s basis was a Snowdon Mountain Railway’s No.6  _ Padarn _ , and, like Culdee, is painted purple with yellow lining.

He has red and gold nameplates with the name ‘Lord Harry’ and number plates on his sides with the number six.

The locomotive noticed the curious Stephanie, asking, “Chang Tai, where did this little… child come from?”

Stephanie’s stomach sank from the tone in his voice, indicating that  _ he does not like her. _

The Chinese locomotive, named Chang Tai, huffed with irritation as a large puff of steam came out of his funnel and moved forward.

He was almost acting like a tiger protecting its young from a threat.

“Be nice, Lord Harry,” he hissed at the other locomotive’s confusion. “She is just here after being accidentally separated from Sir Topham Hatt.”

Lord Harry, the pompous locomotive, expression faded into a surprised look as Stephanie ducked her head a little.

“Oh…, do you know where he is?” Lord Harry asked, his voice changing a little more than being irritated.

“No, I do not.” Chang Tai answered.

“C-Culdee is searching for him.” Stephanie softly stammered, still mentally blaming herself for being distracted.

“Ah, of course!” Lord Harry huffed, rolling his eyes. “Always willing to help everyone around. That Culdee.”

“Is there something wrong about Culdee?” Stephanie asked, perking a little.

“No, nothing is wrong about Culdee.” Chang Tai chuckled. “He’s helpful and very kind! You’ll understand what we mean after getting to know him more.”

Stephanie nodded her head in agreement and continued standing where Culdee told her to stay.

Chang Tai and Lord Harry went back to work after having a conversation with Stephanie.

She was even confused about how Lord Harry could move backwards without bumping into things, seeing that he was coupled to the front of them.

‘Huh, that’s weird.’ Stephanie thought to herself. ‘I thought there were turning tables here.’

She continued watching with curiosity but soon got bored after watching them, wondering how long Culdee was taking.

As much as she wanted to venture around the mountain like the climbers, Stephanie only decided to wait at Culdee’s orders.

So she went back to what she was doing, continuing to wait for Culdee to come.

But as Stephanie was waiting, she noticed that logs were lying around the shed, looking like they were not used in a long time.

She paused thoughtfully to herself when she noticed the logs lying around before remembering that she had taken her carving tools with her in her backpack on her back.

So, Stephanie pulled up a clean stump and sat down on it as she took her backpack off from her back.

She pushed her glasses into place and picked up one of the logs on the ground, looking at it thoughtfully to herself.

Stephanie remembers hearing about Mr. Richards and thinking about the map in Sir Topham Hatt’s office, thinking that he was using that too like him.

So, she decided to make more locomotives to help around with the maps of the railways.

She took a tool out of her box of carving tools and started getting the bark off the log on her lap, not minding the debris landing on the ground and sticking to her pants.

Slowly, the log became bare after the last of the bark came off, and Stephanie went sketching on it with a pencil, marking where to chip off and leave behind.

Stephanie continued with her work on the log in her lap as it slowly took form.

She even smoothed out the edges with sandpaper after finishing some parts of the object.

Stephanie continued working on the other logs after finishing one of them, then moving on to the next, and the next, and the next.

She carved the basis of the locomotives she had met, ranging from Chang Tai, Lord Harry, and Culdee.

Not only that, Stephanie even made the basis of Ace from one of the carvings, who she remembered him asking about making one like him.

She even made wooden carvings of the Star Tugs she had met before, too, going from Sunshine to Ten Cents, even O.J, who could be hard to make.

But with an enormous amount of patience and steady hands, Stephanie manages to make all the carvings look perfect.

As soon as she finished the last log with Captain Bluenose, although a little scared about making a wooden carving of him, she reminded herself that he is not here.

Stephanie placed the carving to the side and brushed the carvings off her pants to the ground before placing the tools back into her backpack, taking out the small pots of paint.

Picking up a small plate for mixing colors and a small cup, Stephanie poured water into the cup from her water bottle and began to carefully paint each carved locomotive and tug boat.

She painted the designs and the numbers they have, even adding in a few touches to them.

Little did she know that Chang Tai was coming back to check on Stephanie, only to stop when he noticed the wooden carvings and the paint pots.

Rather than being impatient and whistle his whistle, Chang Tai patiently waited for her to finish, watching at how talented she was.

Once the last wooden carving was finished, Stephanie started to clean up as the carvings were being dried, until she looked at Chang Tai for a moment, before a second time, flinching in startlement.

“Oh, Chang Tai.” Stephanie sighed. “Please don’t scare me like that.”

“Forgive me, Stephanie.” Chang Tai apologized. “I was waiting for you to finish painting the carvings.”

Stephanie blushed a little as she glanced over at the wooden carvings, asking, “You liked the carvings?”

“Of course,” Chang Tai nodded politely. “You are very talented!”

Stephanie blushed after Chang Tai remarked before Culdee approached the shed with Sir Topham Hatt in his cab.

He stepped out a little as he noticed Stephanie sitting there, sighing in relief.

“There you are!” Sir Topham Hatt remarked. “I’m sorry for leaving you like that.”

“It’s fine, Sir.” Stephanie chuckled. “At least no one pushed me without you or Ms. Hatt watching.”

Sir Topham Hatt opened his mouth to respond before closing it, remembering what had happened before.

“Yes, you’re right,” Sir Topham Hatt nodded in agreement before noticing the carvings. “You made more carvings?”

Stephanie looked worried after Sir Topham Hatt asked, as Chang Tai frowned a little.

“Is there a problem with that, Sir?” Chang Tai asked, cocking a little to the side.

“No, there is no problem,” Sir Topham Hatt responded, although a little confused by how weirdly  _ protective _ he was of her. “She has done this before.”

Stephanie blushed a little at the response to her carving skills before picking one of them up that looked like Chang Tai.

“Oh, I, um, made this, Chang Tai.” Stephanie blushed, showing the carving. “I did it while I was waiting.”

An impressed expression appeared on Chang Tai’s face after seeing that Stephanie had made many locomotives, including cars, tugs, and others!

“They look wonderful, Stephanie!” Sir Topham Hatt remarked as he picked up one of them. “Mr. Percival and Captain Star are going to be proud of this!”

Stephanie paused a little after Sir Topham Hatt remarked, feeling confused about why Sir Topham Hatt left out a name she was expecting him to say.

“What about Mr. Richards?” Stephanie softly asked. “Isn’t he running the railway?”

Sir Topham Hatt glanced over at Stephanie after she asked, pausing a little as he handed the carving back.

“Well, Stephanie,” Sir Topham Hatt said as she went silent. “Mr. Richards is retiring.”

Surprised expressions were placed on the locomotives’ faces after Sir Topham Hatt answered, as Stephanie’s expression softened.

“He’s retiring?” Stephanie asked.

“Yes, I am.” Sir Topham Hatt turned around after hearing a voice, seeing that it was Mr. Richards himself.

He had fair skin with short aging white hair and dark hazelnut eyes.

He wore a brown coat, a black fedora, a pair of brown trousers, and a white shirt with a tie over it.

“You’re Mr. Richards?” Stephanie softly asked, after placing her now dried carvings into her backpack with the tools and paint.

“Yes, I am.” Mr. Richards nodded softly. “I have been working on this railway for a very long time. I think it is time for me to retire and allow Mr. Percival to take over.”

Stephanie paused thoughtfully to herself after Mr. Richards explained, before softly asking, “What happens if he has to work with two railways? Won’t he get easily stressed?”

Mr. Richards chuckled after Stephanie asked with a worried tone in her voice, walking up to her with a cane beside him, placing an assuring hand on her shoulder.

“Do not worry about him, young one.” Mr. Richards assured her. “Mr. Percival is a wonderful hard conductor. He cares for his railway and his engines. You might do the same if you owned a railway.”

That seemed to make Stephanie think to herself about what Mr. Richards had said to her, as Sir Topham Hatt smiled a little from the words he had said to her.

So, that night, while Stephanie and Sir Topham Hatt were at the retirement party for Mr. Richards, the engines were thinking to themselves about the Manager retiring from the railway, wondering if this ‘Mr. Percival’ could be a hard worker like he used to.

Other engines were in the sheds with them other than Chang Tai, Culdee, and Lord Harry.

Each of them was respectfully painted in the same livery as the others and had a different basis.

One of them has its basis as a Snowdon Mountain Railway’s  _ Enid _ and is painted in the Culdee Fell Railway’s livery of purple with orange lining.

His number two is painted on the sides and back of his cab in yellow.

And has a red nameplate with a gold border on the sides of his tanks with the name ‘Ernest.’

The name is in gold, like the lining.

Another has the basis of a Snowdon Mountain Railway’s  _ Wyddfa _ and is painted purple with an orange lining. 

The number three is painted on the sides and back of his cab in yellow, and he has red nameplates, with the name ‘Wilfred’ in gold, on the sides of his tanks.

Another had the basis of a Snowdon Mountain Railway’s  _ Moel Siabod _ and was painted purple with an orange lining. 

The number five is painted on the sides and back of his cab in yellow, and he has red nameplates with the name ‘Shane Dooiney’ in gold on the sides of his tanks.

Another has the basis of a Snowdon Mountain Railway’s  _ Ralph _ and is painted in the Culdee Fell Railway’s livery of purple with orange lining. 

His number seven is painted on the sides and back of his cab in yellow.

He also has a red nameplate with a gold border on each side of his tanks with the name ‘Alaric’ on them in gold, and his buffer beams are painted red.

The last locomotive’s basis is a Snowdon Mountain Railway’s  _ Eryri  _ and is painted in the Culdee Fell Railway’s livery of purple with orange lining. 

His number eight is painted on the sides and back of his cab in yellow.

He has a red nameplate with a gold border on each side of his tanks with the name ‘Eric’ on them.

“Is it right for him to retire?” Lord Harry asked, sounding worried and confused. “He has been working here for nearly fifty-seven years.”

“But, what if he gets older?” Culdee asked. “Sometimes conductors need to be retired. Do you remember the last conductor before Mr. Conductor?”

The locomotives thoughtfully paused to themselves after Culdee reminded them about the previous conductor, nodding as they glanced back.

“Yes, we remember him.” a diesel nodded. “I think we should bid him farewell.”

The diesel’s basis is a Snowdon Mountain Railway’s No. 9-12 and is painted mostly purple with orange-yellow lining. 

Her roof, radiator, and diesel funnel are painted black as her rear buffer beam has yellow and black stripes.

She has red and gold nameplates on her side with the name ‘Olwyn,’ and on the front and rear that reads ‘C.F.R.‘

The other locomotives nodded in agreement after the diesel spoke before noticing that someone was walking over to where they were.

To their confusion, it was Stephanie, carrying a small plate of food in her hands.

“What are you doing all the way out here, Stephanie?” Culdee asked with confusion. “I thought you were with Sir Topham Hatt?”

“I was.” Stephanie nodded after Culdee asked. “It got crowded in the party so, I asked Dowager Hatt if I could step out to have a moment from being in the chaos.”

“Not the one for being in the crowd?” Lord Harry asked, sounding less  _ irritated _ with her.

“Yes, I get easily fretted.” Stephanie nodded as she glanced away from them, blushing a little.

Culdee and the others nodded in agreement before Stephanie paused a little in thought after eating some cake, asking, “Was there any locomotives on the mountain over there?”

Stephanie mentioned the mountain with the fork in her hand where she saw the purple locomotive was at, as everyone glanced over to the peak.

After glancing over at the mountain, they glanced back over at Stephanie.

It looked like they knew that  _ something was not right. _

The diesel slowly asked, “What did the locomotive look like?”

Stephanie thoughtfully paused as she thought about the locomotive, answering, “Well, the locomotive was painted like Culdee, but the base of the tank engine looked to be a Snowdon Mountain Railway’s  _ L.A.D.A.S. _ ”

Instantly, all the locomotives’ expressions changed from confusion to shock, as Stephanie looked puzzled by the sudden change.

“Is there something wrong?” Stephanie asked, stopping herself from eating.

They glanced back at themselves after Stephanie asked, before Culdee puffed forward a little, saying, “Stephanie… have you heard a story about Godred?”

Stephanie paused a bit after Culdee asked, asking in return, “The king?”

“No, not the king,” Culdee chuckled after she asked, before pausing a bit. “Although he  _ did _ act like a king.”

“Who?” Stephanie curiously asked, perking more.

Culdee faintly smiled when he noticed how  _ curious _ she was about things she does not understand, almost like a cat.

“Alright, let me tell you a story about Godred,” Culdee smiled as Stephanie walked up to him. “The engine, who fell from the Devil’s Back.”

* * *

_ It all began many, many years ago, in the nineteenth century before you were born. _

_ We were built in the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works in Winterthur, Switzerland, and arrived at Sodor in time for the railway’s inspection. _

_ “What did the railway look like before?” _

_ Ah, that’s a good question, Stephanie. _

_ It looked like man never touched it and had beautiful flowers growing and trees growing all around the mountainside. _

_ “It must’ve been beautiful there!” _

_ Yes, it is during the springtime. _

_ Now, on with the story, I wasn’t the only engine to be at the railway for the inspection. _

_ “Who were they?” _

_ They were Ernest, Wilfred, Shane Dooiney, and Godred. _

_ Now, Godred was named after the famous Sudrian king, which I think is where he got the idea from. _

_ “What was the idea?” _

_ The idea that ‘nothing bad was going to happen to him.’ _

_ “…It didn’t work out?” _

_ No, Stephanie, it did not. _

_ The accident happened in June, in the same year as we had just arrived. _

_ Godred was coming back down the mountain with his coach, taking mountain climbers up. _

_ Just as he was about to reach down the other side of the mountain, he was suddenly derailed on Devil’s Back and rolled down. _

_ …Poor Godred was destroyed by the wreck, but, luckily, his passengers and coaches have survived being derailed. _

_ “…What happened to him, Culdee?” _

_ …He was scrapped since it was expensive for him, and he was beyond being repaired. _

_ So, the controller scrapped him, and we never heard of him again. _

_ But there’s a little twist at the end of the tail, Stephanie. _

_ “What is it?” _

_ That locomotive you saw on the mountainside of the Devil’s Back… was the ghost of Godred. _

* * *

Stephanie softly gasped after Culdee finished the story about Godred, saying, “So… the locomotive I saw… climbing Devil’s Back… was a ghost?”

Culdee and the others nodded their heads after she slowly asked, as one of them said, “The legends say that he is still trying to climb that mountain, trying to finish his task he started with.”

“And… what happens to anyone who comes into his way?” Stephanie asked.

They paused after Stephanie asked, glancing at each other for a moment, before Culdee answered, “They would be pushed over the mountain like how he did.”

Stephanie nervously gulped after Culdee answered, before hearing him mumble a little, “I thought he was sealed away in that kettle…”

Stephanie paused a little after Culdee mumbled to himself, thinking about the kettle too.

Did someone shatter it on accident…  _ or on purpose? _

Little did they know, the ghost of Godred was watching them from the back of the shed without them noticing, with a soft,  _ sad _ expression on his face.

After staring at them for a while as they talked, he disappeared into thin air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	23. A Stranger Beyond The Arlesburgh Harbour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice decided to let Stephanie have some time outside from staying inside too long, but discovers that there was more behind the veil of rainbows and sunshine...

Stephanie completed carving one of the hiking poles she recently found during her stay at Culdee Fell Railway and looked at the finished work.

It is a carving of a hooded snake, the body as the handle and the head as the cane as it has its mouth open, fangs showing and tongue flickering.

Once the carving had finished, Stephanie placed the masterpiece down on her desk for work later.

Then, she looked down at her hands to check the state of her hands after working on the pole.

Her hands were covered in small drops of blood that could be from the splinters or accidentally nicking herself with the knives and wood dust from sanding the hiking pole.

So Stephanie decided that  _ now _ is the perfect time to stop carving and mend her hands from bleeding too much.

She stood up from her chair as she winced a little, noticing that her legs were a bit sore from sitting too long in it from carving.

But she got used to her soreness after walking for a moment, getting feeling back into her legs as she headed into the bathroom to mend her hands.

Once she was inside, Stephanie first pulled the splinters out of her palms with medical tweezers, not wincing a single bit after getting one out.

After the last splinter came out of her hand, Stephanie wiped her hands with rubbing alcohol to clean her wounds.

There was a slight stinging sensation to her wounds as she cleaned them from carving the hiking pole, but she did not mind the tingle as she continued wiping her wounds.

Once the last of her wounds were cleaned, Stephanie started bandaging her wounds with band-aids, using different colors to make herself feel like a child again.

The last band-aid was placed onto the wound of her right hand and cleaned up the mess she made of mending them.

After throwing away the garbage with band-aid covers and the half-blood, half-hydrogen peroxide cotton balls, Stephanie was about to head back to her room to continue with her project when Alice walked up to her.

“Oh, hello, Alice.” Stephanie greeted with a smile. “Is there something wrong?”

“No, there is nothing wrong,” Alice responded to Stephanie. “But, aren’t you a little… uncomfortable with having to stay in your room all the time?”

Stephanie paused a little after Alice asked, responding with honesty, “Alice, I have stayed home all the time with homeschool, so I’m fine with staying inside.”

Alice cocked an eyebrow after Stephanie assured her of staying inside before saying, “I think staying inside is long enough. Try going outside! You can adventure around the stations and find something new with your carving skills.”

Stephanie paused a little after Alice suggested, before remembering the hiking poles she had recently made, even the one that is halfway done.

“That gives me an idea!” Stephanie smiled. “Do you remember the other hiking poles I recently made in my room?”

Alice nodded her head after Stephanie asked, as she continued, “I could  _ sell _ my hiking poles to the hikers at Culdee’s Railway since, heh, well, the umbrella stand is almost full of all the carvings I made.”

Stephanie chuckled a little after mentioning the carved canes she had recently made after sketching some designs on some blank pieces of paper while in Sir Topham Hatt’s office.

“That’s a wonderful idea, Stephanie!” Alice remarked before thinking to herself. “Gather the carvings you made in your room, and I’ll go get something for you to carry all that.”

Stephanie nodded her head and parted ways as Stephanie went into her room, and Alice went further into the house.

After Stephanie went into her room, she went to the carving she recently made before and quickly finished painting it.

She added some details to the carved cane and even some realistic appearances to make the snake look ‘alive.’

Once it was finished being painted, Stephanie placed the cane on the side to dry.

Then she went to collect every carving she made.

She collected from flat boards that have beautiful paintings of either a night sky, a snowy version of Sodor and Britain, the ocean, and many!

Stephanie also made many wooden items, like coins and garden accessories hand-carved and painted by her.

Once the last item was collected, Stephanie heard the door open and saw Alice entering her room, looking surprised at how many carvings she had made.

In one hand, she was holding a different backpack as the other was holding a London blue Elysian floral hand stitched coin purse.

It has a silver metal frame and was big enough to look almost like a purse with a dark blue strap.

“That…” Alice paused as she looked surprised at how many there were, as Stephanie blushed with sheepishness. “Is a lot of carvings.”

“Yeah…” Stephanie blushed as she nervously smiled. “It happens when you have a lot of creativity in your mind!”

Alice chuckled after Stephanie blushed about her carvings before saying, “Alright, which ones do you want to start with first?”

Stephanie thoughtfully paused as she glanced over at her carvings, looking at how many there were, and counted.

She then used her fingers to divide how many there were before turning around to Alice.

“I’ll take half of the carvings to sell,” Stephanie answered. “And after that half is finished, I’ll sell the next half some other time.”

“That is a wonderful idea, Stephanie!” Alice remarked. “Let’s start packing!”

Stephanie nodded her head and went to pack the carvings she had made into the extra backpack Alice had in her hand.

Alice carefully weighed the weight to make sure the backpack would not be too heavy for Stephanie to hurt her back.

She would not want to repeat the same as how it had happened with the Troublesome Trio.

Once everything was set, Stephanie placed the backpack on her back as Alice placed the carved hiking poles against her back to make things a little easier for her than sticking them into the pack with the rest.

“There,” Alice smiled as Stephanie looked up at her. “How are you feeling?”

“A little excited!” Stephanie remarked, pushing strands of hair from her face. “I can’t wait to travel around!”

“Oh,” Alice spoke, stopping Stephanie before she could walk. “Don’t forget to take this with you.”

A soft, confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after Alice told her, before handing her the coin purse she had in her hand.

“What’s this?” Stephanie curiously asked, impressed at how beautiful it is.

“This is a coin purse I had for a long time,” Alice explained to Stephanie. “I bought it from a garage sale when I was a young little girl.”

“Like me?” Stephanie innocently asked.

Alice smiled after Stephanie asked, nodded, “Yes, like you, Stephanie.”

Stephanie beamed more after Alice agreed before exiting out of her room to the front door.

Reginald noticed Stephanie with her handmade carvings on her back and in the backpack, asking, “Where on earth is she going, Alice?”

“Well, she has been staying in this house for a long time and in her room,” Alice explained, as Stephanie stopped near the door. “So Stephanie decided to have another venture around Sodor, except selling her carvings to people at Culdee Fell Railway.”

Reginald paused after Alice explained to him before responding, “That is a good idea. Although…”

He paused again as he looked at Stephanie’s backpack, looking concerned about the weight on her back.

“I weighed the backpack, so it would not happen again, Reginald,” Alice assured him before walking up to Stephanie. “Remember to come back home to eat lunch, okay, Stephanie?”

Stephanie nodded her head and exited out of the door, ready to start traveling to sell her carvings.

Once she stopped at a bus stop, Stephanie reached into her pocket and pulled out a map, looking at the stations on it.

“Okay,” Stephanie mumbled to herself as she looked at it. “This is where Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion was where I gathered all my carvings, so I’ll take the bus to Knapford to see if anyone is interested and...”

While she was mumbling to herself, an elderly Chinese man sat down on the bench of the bus stop after walking, wincing to himself, and he reached down to his knees, rubbing them gently.

“I need a cane badly...” he mumbled as Stephanie placed her map away. “The stick I was using snapped...”

Stephanie overheard the elder’s mumble and glanced over, seeing that he was genuinely hurt from his old knees, and thought to herself.

So, Stephanie decided to take this chance and turned around to the poor elder.

“Excuse me, sir?” Stephanie asked, reaching behind her back to take out one of the canes she had made before. “Are you interested in having a cane?”

The elder looked confused after Stephanie asked, asking, “You carve canes?”

“Yes, I do.” Stephanie nodded. “They are carved out of either oak, walnut, beech, cedar-”

“Is there any made of mahogany?” the elder asked, sounding curious.

“Yes, there is!” Stephanie beamed, moving the cane behind her back and into the gap between her back and the backpack.

She touched each cane on her back thoughtfully before reaching a carving that looked like a Chinese dragon.

Stephanie took the cane carving out, and it was painted in a mint green color with hints of a light pastel yellow and dark green.

“Ooh, 这看起来很棒!” he remarked in Chinese.

“谢谢你, 先生!” Stephanie thanked him in his language.

An impressed expression appeared on the elderly man’s face as he asked, “你懂中文?”

“是的, 我学过中文.” Stephanie nodded.

The elderly man smiled after Stephanie nodded her head, before mentioning to the cane, asking in English, “How much is for the cane?”

That made Stephanie pause after he asked, responding, “I, uh, don’t know how much is for the cane.”

The elderly man nodded thoughtfully and asked, “Is this your first time selling carvings?”

Stephanie sheepishly nodded her head as she blushed, feeling embarrassed.

“How about I help you?” the elderly man smiled. “Let’s start with the cane first.”

He picked the cane up from Stephanie’s hands and looked at the walking stick thoughtfully, even looking at the designs she made, including the details.

“Wonderful,” he remarked. “I’ll say that this cane would cost about between either sixteen or seventeen dollars.”

“‘Sixteen or seventeen?’” Stephanie softly asked, mostly out of surprise.

“Yes,” the elderly man nodded. “Maybe the rest of the carvings could be either ten or eight dollars.”

A nervous feeling was in Stephanie’s stomach after the elderly man explained, but wrote down some mental notes in her mind about the costs.

Once he was finished giving Stephanie ideas on the costs of her carvings, before asking, “So, does this cane cost sixteen dollars?”

A soft smile appeared on Stephanie’s face after the elderly man asked, before saying, “Have the cane for free instead. As a way for me to say, thanks for helping me!”

The elderly man smiled more after Stephanie explained to him, before hugging her and said, “太谢谢你了, 小姐.”

“别客气!” Stephanie granted, as Bertie the bus came just in time.

They released their hug, and Stephanie allowed the elderly to step on the bus first, then herself.

Stephanie felt nervous when she stepped onto the bus, seeing how crowded it was compared to the coaches.

But she kept her anxiety down and sat down in a seat after taking her backpack off her back, allowing some weight off.

Little did she know, the elderly man explained to the other passengers on the bus about the carved cane he had, telling them how talented the young girl was.

Bertie himself was overhearing the conversation, too, feeling curious about who was the creative ‘young girl.’

He stopped at a few stations to allow his passengers to get off, as Stephanie stayed, sitting at the back of the bus.

She was a little nervous as she was holding her backpack in her lap, watching the people stepping off and new people stepping on.

That includes the elderly man to whom she had given one of her carvings.

Once the last of the people were on, Bertie went off and drove towards another station.

Stephanie thought to herself during the drive about the costs of her carvings.

She felt self-conscious about them, thinking that they would be  _ too _ expensive for people.

Finally, Bertie reached Knapford and Stephanie stood up after he had stopped, placing her backpack on her back.

She stepped off the bus and waited on Knapford, looking around curiously for any interested buyers.

A few minutes passed, and a young man came up to her, asking, “Excuse me, but do you carve?”

“Yes, I do!” Stephanie nodded. “Is there something you are interested in?”

“Well,” the man began. “I wanted to give my wife a gift for her garden to make her happy, but I don’t know what I could give her.”

Stephanie thought to herself after he explained, before taking off her backpack from her back.

“Wait a moment, please, sir,” Stephanie spoke to him before opening her backpack.

Pushing her glasses into place, Stephanie rummaged through her backpack for a moment before taking out one of the hand-carved gnomes she had made, which was a beautiful female gnome.

She had long braided white hair with fair skin, blue eyes, and a thin appearance.

The gnome wore a pointed dark blue cap with a long light blue dress with beautifully designed details of patterns and a white apron.

“This is beautiful!” the man remarked. “How much is this?”

Stephanie paused a little after he asked, before answering, “Six dollars.”

“Just six dollars?” the man asked, sounding confused. “That seemed a little too cheap.”

Stephanie felt nervous as he reached into his pocket and took out  _ ten _ dollars, handing them to Stephanie.

“Keep the change,” the man smiled as she handed the gnome over to him.

Once she had sold the gnome, Stephanie was confused for a moment before placing the money into her purse Alice gave her.

While waiting for Thomas or Gordon to come, Stephanie sold three gnomes, five walking canes, and a few platters.

When Gordon arrived, Stephanie placed her backpack on her back after closing it and hurriedly stepped onto the coaches before it became too crowded.

However, she was polite and allowed others to step in before her, then take a seat for herself at the back.

Once everyone was in their seats, Gordon whistled his whistle and puffed out of the station, heading towards Crosby.

Stephanie looked at the amount of money she had in her purse after selling some of her carvings, surprised at how much she has.

She did not suspect that her carvings were going to cost this much to other people.

But Stephanie was a little embarrassed about the costs the elderly man had given her.

Once Gordon stopped at Crosby, Stephanie waited on the coaches as people unboarded them, waiting until Gordon reached Kildane.

But she enjoyed the scenery passing by through the woodlands and the gentle bumping of the rails.

Stephanie had almost fallen asleep at one point, but with a gentle bump from Gordon’s coaches, Stephanie was back to being awake.

Finally, Gordon stopped at Kildane, and Stephanie stepped off, feeling a little shaken from the ride, but continued with her adventure.

“Look, Dad!” a young boy called, causing Stephanie to glance over in that direction of where the voice was. “There’s the Carver!”

‘The Carver?’ Stephanie thought in confusion, glancing around for anyone who was nicknamed.

But the young boy instead walked up to  _ her _ rather than someone else, with his hands behind his back.

“Um, hello?” Stephanie asked, sounding confused.

“Hi, are you the Carver Mr. Zhang was talking about?” the young boy asked.

“Who’s ‘Mr. Zhang?’” Stephanie curiously asked, sounding confused.

“Mr. Zhang is a Chinese man who runs a noodle shop in Drayton.” The young boy explained. “He’s the elderly man with a dragon cane.”

“Oh, him!” Stephanie remarked after the boy explained. “Yeah, I am the Carver.”

The young boy giggled then asked, “Do you have a carving of a train?”

A soft, confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after he asked, asking in response, “Er, yes, I do. But what basis?”

“‘Basis?’” the boy asked, sounding confused after she asked.

“The shape of the train,” Stephanie explained to him. “Does the train look like Thomas, Casey Jr, or-”

“Oh, one that looks like Percy!” the boy explained.

“Yes, I do!” Stephanie chuckled, placing her backpack down on the ground. “Let me look for the train.”

The young boy waited as Stephanie rummaged through the backpack, as more people gathered around her, looking curious at what she was doing.

Then, a few objects fell out of her backpack as she rummaged through the carvings for the toy train.

It has some wooden plates with beautifully hand-designed designs, including beautiful paintings of different places in Sodor, Britain, and other countries too!

There were even some that were wooden fidget items, mini Indian totem poles, and others!

One of the onlookers picked up one of Stephanie’s carvings as she fumbled a little, asking, “Did you truly carved these?”

Stephanie, blushing with sheepishness, hands the toy train over to the boy after the onlooker asked, responding, “Yes, I did.”

“I am impressed.” the onlooker remarked. “They look beautiful as if they were made of metal itself.”

“Yeah, it even has details, too!” the young boy remarked, not noticing a confused James coming over from the station. “How long does it take to make one of these?”

Stephanie’s blush went in another shade as she shyly stammered, “Uh… a few hours?”

“‘A few hours?!’” James remarked, startling Stephanie as she flinched. “They looked like they could take days or weeks!”

“Some even years.” remarked one of the females. “You have to have many years of practice!”

Stephanie blushed more into a shade of red as she clenched her sweater with her hands, feeling like she was in a spotlight she did not want to be in the first place.

They noticed how red Stephanie was, glancing at each other as some were holding some carvings Stephanie made.

“Er, how much are they, young lady?” the man asked, trying to change the subject and hurry a little.

Realizing the change, Stephanie told them the price of the carvings she once explained to the man before with the gnome.

Surprisingly, they paid with the cost of the carvings Stephanie told them without bargaining.

Even the young boy’s father paid the cost too, with a little more money than she was expecting.

After that, the people boarded James’ coaches, and Stephanie boarded too, sitting at the back to make herself a little small.

Once everyone was seated, Stephanie softly squealed to herself in embarrassment, hugging her backpack gently against herself.

There were so many compliments about her carvings she was so flustered to think!

But James’s whistle brought her out of her embarrassment, and the coaches started moving, deciding to wait until he reached Kirk Machan.

The stops at the station were bumpy and scary for Stephanie as she yelped a few times.

She kept moving her legs up to stop herself from being launched forward as she hugged her backpack against her body.

Unlike last time, there was no Sir Topham Hatt to come out and scold him for screeching to a halt rather than slowing down.

But Stephanie managed to shakily get off James’s coaches… a little more shakily than she suspected herself to be.

James apparently noticed Stephanie collapsing on the ground on her rump, confusing some passengers too.

“James,” the stationmaster huffed, helping Stephanie up. “You should be careful.”

“I am careful!” James protested, huffing a little.

The stationmaster had an unamused expression on his face after James protested.

He then mentioned the passengers and Stephanie with a hand as James huffed again, acting like a brat.

Stephanie winced a little at the thought of being in between an argument between a stationmaster and James, but nothing happened as she walked away.

“Er, Stephanie?” James spoke, causing Stephanie to glance over. “Are you alright, though?”

“I-I’m fine!” Stephanie chuckled a little. “Just a little shaken up, that’s all!”

This seemed to make James and the stationmaster a little more concerned for her as she sat down on a bench.

So, James went to continue with what he was doing, along with the stationmaster.

Stephanie continued waiting for Culdee or any other locomotives to come over to where she was, mostly for any climbers to sell the hiking canes she had.

But Stephanie attracted many climbers with her carved canes, managing to sell almost half of the carved walking sticks!

She even had most of them asking for some of their own sketches they recommended, mostly wood for the designs to be on their own carved hiking poles.

Half of the wood they recommended was jobi wood, which was the ones grown at Misty Island.

Although hesitant to go to Misty Island to get herself lost again, Stephanie decided that one day to travel to Misty Island to get jobi wood to make the canes.

Just as she was selling another cane, a familiar whistle went through the air, causing her to perk.

‘That sounds like Culdee!’ Stephanie smiled before standing up to her feet.

And it was Culdee!

Culdee looked surprised to see Stephanie running over to him, with a backpack on her back with many carvings, mostly canes.

“Wh-What are you doing here, Stephanie?” Culdee asked, sounding surprised. “I thought you were in Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion.”

“I, uh, well,” Stephanie stammered, blushing a little with sheepishness. “I had an idea to sell my carvings to some climbers here since they are hikers, and...”

She drifted off as she blushed more, feeling more sheepish and shy.

Culdee understood what Stephanie was explaining and said, “Go ahead and climb into my coaches, Stephanie. I’ll take you to Kirk Machan. It’s filled with people there and mostly hikers too!”

Stephanie smiled with excitement and boarded Culdee’s coaches, except in front rather than in the back, like the previous coaches she had been in before.

Once she was boarded with the rest, Culdee began his climb up the mountain, as Stephanie was nervous during the trip.

She was gripping the bottom of the seat she was sitting on, feeling the tip of the coach moving forward.

One of the passengers noticed Stephanie’s nervous expression, mostly flinching when the coach bumped a little.

“First time at Culdee Fell railway?” the passenger asked.

Stephanie glanced up at him with confusion, asking, “R-Repeat that again, please?”

“First time on Culdee Fell railway?” the passenger repeated as the coach bumped again.

Stephanie curled her toes inward nervously as she gripped the seat again, stammering, “A-A little.”

Another bump and Stephanie yelped again, flinching from the jolting of the coaches.

But when they reached a station, Stephanie poked her head out a little, seeing that the sign for the station reads, “Shiloh.”

“Er, Culdee?” Stephanie spoke, glancing over at him through the window.

Culdee tilted his body to the side a little to look over at Stephanie with a slight, confused expression.

“Is this stationed named ‘Shiloh?’” Stephanie asked, mentioning over to the sign.

Culdee glanced over at what Stephanie was mentioning, seeing the sign.

“Oops,” Culdee blushed. “I forgot that the station James stopped at was Kirk Machan!”

Stephanie nervously smiled a little after Culdee mentioned before asking, “Doesn’t hurt to make an u-turn?”

Culdee paused a little after Stephanie suggested before smiling a little.

“You’re right!” Culdee nodded. “All I have to do is go up to Culdee Fell Summit and then back down to Kirk Machan.”

‘Oh, crap.’ went through Stephanie’s mind after Culdee nodded.

She moved back into his coaches and listened to his whistle whistling after everyone boarded, going to the next station.

As he was going up the mountain, Stephanie felt the coach tilting back to Culdee, thinking that the weight of the passengers with the coach was too heavy for him.

But he managed to stop at one of the stations, and the passengers boarded his coaches after some left and repeated the same process.

So the coaches were not  _ that _ heavy for Culdee to go up the mountain.

Mentally, Stephanie  _ prayed _ the coaches would not get derailed or Culdee falling off the rails, not wanting to get hurt or have others in danger.

Luckily, Culdee did not get derailed or have the coaches knocked off as he continued going up the mountain.

Stephanie was surprised at how high they were up in the sky, feeling more nervous as she looked out the window.

When they stopped, Stephanie clenched the seat in her hand tighter, feeling  _ very _ terrified about getting herself or others killed.

“Are you alright, Stephanie?” Stephanie opened her eyes a little after hearing Culdee’s voice and poked her head out of the window.

“Y-Yes,” Stephanie nodded shakily. “Just a little nervous, that’s all!”

Culdee nodded after Stephanie responded to his question, waiting for the passengers to board his coaches as Stephanie went back into her seat.

She was impressed at how high they were at the Devil’s Back, looking around at how… giant she was feeling.

She was dazed into a fantasy where she was a giantess, looking across plains and traveling wherever she could go as her heart desires.

Culdee did not notice that Stephanie was daydreaming like the last of the passengers were boarded on his coaches, and he whistled his whistle, moving backwards.

During that time, Stephanie perked a little from her daydreaming and heard what sounded like a male’s scream and loud crashing noises.

Stephanie snapped her head up after hearing the crash and the male’s scream, thinking that Culdee had accidentally uncoupled his coaches and crashed at the side of the Devil’s Back.

But nothing happened.

So, Stephanie sighed in relief that nothing had happened to the coaches or Culdee… yet.

Culdee stopped again at the station, heading back down to Kirk Machan, where he had started before.

Midway, he met Lord Harry and Patrick, greeting them with a whistle of his whistle before continuing down the mountain.

Once he had finally reached Kirk Machan, Culdee stopped and allowed everyone to step off his coaches, along with Stephanie, who looked a little shaky.

“Are you alright?” Culdee asked, sounding concerned for her.

Stephanie only nodded her head after Culdee asked, standing back up to her feet.

“I’m sorry, I was just a little nervous,” Stephanie apologized. “I never rode on a coach that was going up a mountain.”

Culdee gave Stephanie an assuring smile and said, “It’s okay, Stephanie. There is no reason to apologize.”

Stephanie paused after Culdee assured her of apologizing before hearing the conductor’s whistle.

“Oh, I have to go,” Culdee remarked before whistling his whistle in response. “Talk to you later!”

Stephanie waved her hand to Culdee as he left before sighing as she pushed a stray of long brown hair from her face.

Now that it was in Kirk Machan  _ correctly _ , Stephanie decided to sell her canes and other carvings she had made.

Over the next few hours, Stephanie surprisingly sold  _ all _ of her carvings to people, even hikers, who wanted to have a cane of their own.

When the last carving was sold, some people came up to ask for carvings for their own, even canes, since the ones they have used were not strong enough to handle the weight.

So, like last time, Stephanie allowed them to write their orders in a notebook she had brought with herself, even others she had not tried before too.

After the last person to have his order was written in the notebook Stephanie had, Stephanie decided it would be the best time to look in her purse of the money she had recently gathered.

Sitting down on an empty bench, Stephanie started counting the money people had given her, surprised to see that she had enough to either  _ buy something expensive from a restaurant or a toy from a toy store. _

Stephanie blinked a few times after counting the money, looking confused at the amount she has.

So she counted again if she had the numbers right while using a calculator from her bag.

But, sure enough, the amount she had in her hand was the same amount she had counted out.

An impressed expression appeared on Stephanie’s face when she discovered she had a large amount of money in her hand but soon turned to worry after placing the money back into her purse.

Where is she going to spend it?

Stephanie scratched the back of her head a little at the thought of what she could do next, mostly worried about  _ how _ she could spend her money  _ without using all of it. _

She could ask someone she knows to help her with the money she has, but her anxiety made her ignore the thought in her mind.

A grumble from her stomach seemed to snap Stephanie out of her thoughts from sitting on the bench.

She placed a hand against her flat stomach, feeling hungry from all that thinking she went through.

So, Stephanie decided to buy something from a store to get something to eat for herself.

…But  _ where? _

Stephanie went back to thinking to herself again after thinking about where to get food for herself.

Then James’ whistle snapped her out of her thinking once again as she glanced up at the railway as James came in, screeching as usual.

“Hi, Stephanie!” James greeted Stephanie, noticing the empty backpack on her back. “Did the selling go well?”

“It did!” Stephanie nodded with a smile. “Although…”

She trailed off a little, rubbing the back of her neck as James looked slightly confused.

“I got a lot of money that I didn’t think I would get, and…” Stephanie blushed as she nervously rubbed her left hand. “What do you think I should do?”

James thought to himself for a moment after Stephanie asked, before his driver suggested, “Have you tried the food at one of the stores in Arlesburgh Harbour?”

Stephanie perked after hearing the suggestion from James’ driver, asking, “Do you know where the Arlesburgh Harbour is?”

“I do,” nodded the driver as he stepped out to Stephanie. “All you have to do is board James’s coaches until we reach Kildane and then board Gordon’s or Thomas’s coaches until they reach Tidmouth.”

Stephanie listened closely to James’s driver’s words as he explained, remembering the stations and locomotives to take.

“Then wait for either Duck or Oliver to take you to Arlesburgh West,” James’ driver continued. “And maybe Daisy could take you to Arlesburgh Harbour.”

“That’s a long way,” James remarked.

Stephanie nodded in agreement from the back of her mind but asked, “So, can I board your coaches, James?”

“Of course!” James nodded. “You’re welcome to board all you want.”

Stephanie smiled after James nodded and climbed into the first coach behind him, sitting down near a window close to him.

Once everyone was seated, James whistled his whistle as his driver stepped back into his cabin and puffed off to Kildane.

Stephanie continued sitting in the seat as James puffed down the line, stopping at the usual stations he stops at.

When he reached Kildane, Stephanie gripped the bottom of the seat with one hand, waiting for James to screech to a halt like he always does whenever coming to a station.

But he instead slows down to a stop at Kildane, confusing Stephanie a little. 

Once James had stopped at Kildane, Stephanie stepped out of his coaches and was about to ask but stopped herself from asking, thinking that asking something about him would be considered rude.

So, she dismissed the question in her mind and instead said, smiling, “Thank you, James!”

James smiled after Stephanie thanked him, giving her a whistle in response to her thanks.

When Thomas came with Annie and Clarabel, Stephanie boarded his coaches and stayed on board until he reached Tidmouth.

At Tidmouth, Stephanie unboarded Thomas’s coaches and waited, looking around for Duck or Oliver to come over to Knapford.

Half of her was a little worried about making a mistake, however, not wanting to get herself lost again.

As she waited, Stephanie felt more worried as the minutes passed, until Duck appeared with  _ coaches _ behind him!

The basis was a Diagram F16 Double-Ended slip coach and was painted in claret and cream with black roofs and window frames.

‘I have never seen Duck with coaches before,’ Stephanie thought to herself with wonder.

When Duck noticed Stephanie at the station, he looked confused for a moment before continuing.

Before Stephanie could tell him he was passing the station, the single coach coupled behind him  _ uncoupled from his chain. _

Wincing, Stephanie was about to ask why the coach uncoupled but remembered that it was a  _ slip _ coach.

‘I have to stop myself from giving myself a heart attack!’ Stephanie sighed before hearing Duck’s whistle from the other side of the station.

“What on earth are you doing here, Stephanie?” Duck asked her with confusion. “I thought you were in Sir Topham Hatt’s mansion.”

“I was, but Alice decided I needed some sunshine outside,” Stephanie explained to him. “Plus, I had many carvings in my room.”

“Ah, that’s why your hands are covered in some bandages?” Duck asked, mentioning her hands with a gentle nod.

Stephanie nodded her head after Duck asked before asking, “May you take me to Arlesburgh West? I’m heading to the Arlesburgh Harbour.”

A slightly confused expression appeared on Duck’s face after Stephanie asked about going to Arlesburgh West as she explained to him, including what James’s driver said to her.

After explaining to Duck about going to Arlesburgh West, Duck paused a little thoughtfully before responding with a smile, “Of course!”

Stephanie smiled after Duck nodded and glanced over at the slip coach that had been uncoupled from him, asking, “Are they your coaches?”

“Yes, they are!” Duck nodded.

Before he could explain to Stephanie what type of coaches they are and what they do, Stephanie instead interrupted him.

“They are slip coaches, right?” Stephanie asked as Duck paused from explaining to her. “They have the basis of a Diagram F16 Double-Ended, and each one has a guard inside that can pull the lever inside to uncouple the coach, so you wouldn’t have to stop?”

That question made Duck go silent with surprise, impressed at how  _ clever  _ Stephanie knew what type of coaches they were.

The coach listening to the conversation chuckled after Stephanie asked, speaking to Duck as the coach had a male’s voice, “I think she beat you to it, Duck!”

Duck blushed after the coach mentioned it, as Stephanie smiled a little but was mentally worried about making Duck a little too embarrassed.

“Sorry, Duck,” Stephanie blushed shyly. “I should’ve let you explain instead of interrupting you like that.”

“No, it’s fine, Stephanie. No need to apologize to me.” Duck chuckled as he assured the slightly embarrassed Stephanie. “Go ahead and board Steven. I’ll go to the turntable and turn around to fetch the others. That means that I’ll reach Arlesburgh West.”

Stephanie nodded her head after Duck assured her and turned around to Steven, the coach Duck mentioned to and boarded him along with the others.

As she took a seat, Stephanie saw a guard at the back with the lever in his hand.

‘I was right,’ Stephanie smiled to herself. ‘There  _ is _ a guard inside!’

After smiling to herself, Stephanie pushed her glasses into place and continued sitting, even being polite to let someone sit by her too.

Duck came back around after talking to Stephanie about staying at the station, coupling back to the coach, and went to fetch the other coaches he passed by.

Stephanie enjoyed the ride in Duck’s coaches, feeling an excited jump inside as she thought about the slip coaches.

She had never experienced a slip coach before in her life, so this was a first for her.

Once Duck reached Arlesburgh West, Stephanie unboarded Duck’s coaches and waved at him as he puffed off, leaving behind a whistle in return.

‘Okay, now that I am at Arlesburgh West,’ Stephanie thought to herself. ‘All I have to do is wait for Oliver or Daisy to come over and pick me up from here... Although, who is Daisy? The name sounds beautiful.’

Stephanie pushed her glasses back into place after thinking to herself about the name Daisy.

Then she heard a  _ diesel horn honking. _

She perked after hearing the diesel locomotive’s horn honking, thinking that it was either Diesel or any of the diesels she had met before, but instead sees that it was a completely different diesel.

The diesel locomotive was a single unit BR Class 101 and painted light green with a yellow lining.

She wore makeup to Stephanie’s surprise, including eyelashes, red lipstick, blush, and blue eyeshadow.

The beautiful female diesel locomotive noticed Stephanie standing at the station as she walked up to her.

She greeted Stephanie in French, “Bonne après-midi! What brings you here, petite fille?”

Stephanie, understanding French, responded to the diesel’s surprise in the language she spoke in, “Rien de bien, juste attendre ici qu’un beau diesel vienne me chercher pour aller au port d’Arlesburgh.”

The female diesel locomotive blinked a few times after Stephanie responded to her in French before asking in English as a faint blush appeared from underneath her makeup blush, “You speak French?”

“Yes, I do.” Stephanie nodded. “I learned to speak French from one of my foster-father’s friends.”

The female diesel locomotive smiled after Stephanie nodded, responded, “Well, your foster-father’s friend is wonderful at teaching you how to speak French! You are very fluent at speaking it!”

Stephanie blushed a little from the female diesel locomotive’s remark before asking, “Oh, sorry for distracting you a little, ma’am but do you mind if I board you?”

“Oh, to go to Arlesburgh Harbour?” she asked, as Stephanie nodded her head. “Of course you may! Just be careful, alright?”

Stephanie nodded her head again and boarded onto her along with the others that followed behind.

Stephanie took a seat closer to the driver inside the female diesel locomotive.

She was impressed by how roomy it was inside rather than being inside a diesel locomotive’s cab.

Once everyone was seated in their seats, the female diesel locomotive honked her horn and started her routine down the line.

Stephanie enjoyed the ride down the line inside the female diesel locomotive.

Mostly the few bounces here and there from some bumps on the railroad, but not too much.

Soon, she reached Arlesburgh Harbour, and Stephanie got off, turning to her and said, speaking in French, “Merci pour le trajet, madame!”

“De rien!” She smiled before honking her horn and going off after new passengers boarded her.

Stephanie waved goodbye to her and turned around, pausing a little to think of where the store would be at.

So, she decided to walk around the harbor to look for a store to reasonably spend her money on.

During her trip around the Arlesbrugh Harbour, Stephanie looked around for anything that would look interesting to her.

Most of them were gift stores, but some yarn stores seemed to have caught her attention.

So, she put a mental note in her mind to go back to that store to buy some yarn.

Soon Stephanie came across a store that looked interesting and had food that even looked good too.

So, Stephanie went inside the store and had a look around what could be in stock.

She did not notice the people looking at each other with a confused expression on their faces but did not mind and continued with what they were doing.

Soon, Stephanie came up to an isle and looked at some ingredients, when she noticed someone shady from the corner of her eye.

It was a stranger who was taller than her and was an elderly man.

He has fair skin, with steel-blue eye color and short gray hair that is slowly turning white from age. 

He wore a white sailor hat and a light gray long-sleeved turtleneck sweater underneath his long-sleeved, Navy blue coat with a v-neck and six dark blue buttons on the front.

Topping things off, he also wore a pair of black pants and waterproof black shoes.

He had his collar up to conceal his face, and his hat was tipped down slightly over his eyes to hide.

It felt… strange to see someone acting shady in the store, even though she does not know  _ who _ he is.

So, curiosity once again got the best of her and came up to the stranger, looking curiously at him.

He glanced down at her from the corner of his eye, seeing that Stephanie was standing next to him.

He glanced away from Stephanie and said, mostly whispering slightly, “Go on, I don’t ‘ave any candy on me.”

‘Rude,’ Stephanie thought to herself as she huffed.

“I’m not interested in candy,” Stephanie spoke to him. “I was just saying ‘hello,’ to you.”

He glanced down at her once before going back to the shelves in front of him.

“Aye, aye, aye,” he scoffed as he rolled his eyes. “Ahoy t’ ye too. Thar, happy now?”

“A little.” Stephanie huffed, acting like a stubborn girl in front of him, before noticing something about his accent in his voice. “Are you a pirate, though? Because your accent sounds like on-”

He instantly whipped around at her and knelt to her height, silencing her with a finger against his lips.

“Are ye tryin’ t’ get me in trouble?!” he exclaimed quietly. “I don’t want t’ be caught by any o’ th’-”

“Sailor John?!” exclaimed a voice from one of the ends of the aisle they were at, causing him to stiffen a little before groaning.

“Sink me.” he groaned as he looked down at Stephanie as she nervously smiled as if she was saying ‘Sorry.’ “Now ‘tis yer fault.”

Stephanie did not respond to his scolding but only glanced down from his sight, blushing with sheepishness.

Some people gathered around the man after one of them had noticed him having a conversation with Stephanie.

Most of the talking was about between Thomas and about something else she did not know of.

During her escape, Stephanie stopped a little when she noticed his pant leg was up a little, seeing that there was a  _ police monitor cuff _ around his ankle.

What did he do to get himself into trouble?

Noticing that things were getting a little heated for the poor elderly man, Stephanie glanced down the side and said, “Hey, are the stinky cheese free?”

That seemed to take the bait, causing them to move away from the elderly man and to the dairy.

He moved his collar down, mostly to readjust his clothes from being grabbed.

Stephanie walked back over to him and pretended nothing had happened as he turned around and started to leave.

A bad feeling was in Stephanie’s stomach for him having to get into trouble with the people, so she picked some food for herself and the man, buying it from the counter, and went outside.

“Excuse me, sir?” Stephanie called him as he stopped and turned around to her.

He stopped after hearing Stephanie call out to him and turned around, watching her as she ran up to him.

“I-I’m sorry for being a nuisance to you, sir,” Stephanie apologized to him before holding out a bag filled with groceries inside to him. “Uh, here, I bought this for you to have for lunch.”

He paused after Stephanie held the bag out to him before taking it from her.

“Thanks,” he grumbled. “But next time, remember t’ mind yer own business, aye?”

“Aye, sir!” Stephanie smiled with a smile.

That seemed to confuse him a little after Stephanie smiled at him but tipped his hat.

He turned around and turned around a corner of an alley to somewhere else.

She parted her ways with the sailor and went to look for somewhere to eat her food.

She found a spot to eat and sat there, eating a sandwich made of salami, cheese, mayo, mustard, and lettuce.

As she was eating, someone approached her from in front, causing her to look up from her food in confusion, thinking that it was Mason, Jason, and William.

But to her surprise and confusion, it was instead an Eastport Pram rail boat.

The rail boat was painted in blue and turquoise, his wheels are red, and his sail is white with yellow stripes.

Stephanie smiled a little when he noticed how cute the rail boat was, as the rail boat saw her.

“Hello, what’s your name?” the rail boat greeted.

“Stephanie,” Stephanie greeted after finishing her sandwich. “Stephanie Allen. You?”

“My name is Skiff!” Skiff, the rail boat greeted. “What brought you here to Arlesburgh Harbour?”

“I came here to buy lunch,” Stephanie answered with a smile. “I sold many hiking poles and other things out of wood!”

“Really?” Skiff asked in wonder. “You must have a talented hand!”

Stephanie blushed from the compliment Skiff made about her talent and stammered, “Th-Thank you, Skiff.”

Skiff smiled after Stephanie thanked him as she asked, “Oh, there is a question I want to ask, Skiff. Do you know of an elderly man wearing a sailor’s hat?”

That question made Skiff look surprised after Stephanie asked, as she felt worried about accidentally saying the wrong thing to him.

“Did I ask something wrong?” Stephanie asked, closing her bag of food.

“N-No, you didn’t,” Skiff assured the worried Stephanie. “It’s just that... Sailor John has a bad reputation.”

Stephanie felt curious after Skiff explained, slowly asking, “What... did Sailor John do?”

Skiff paused a little after Stephanie asked about Sailor John, before his owner appeared beside him, asking, “Who are you talkin’ to, Skiff?”

He has fair skin with short brown hair and hazelnut brown eye color.

He wore a brown shirt, a gray undershirt, gray-blue jeans, and a blue sailor’s cap along with a pair of black waterproof boots.

“I’m talking to Stephanie, Joe,” Skiff answered. “She met Sailor John.”

“She did?” Joe, the owner, asked, glancing over to Stephanie. “Did he harm you?”

“No, he didn’t,” Stephanie shook her head. “He was in the store with me buying food.”

Captain Joe and Skiff glanced at each other after Stephanie answered to them, as Captain Joe said, “You were lucky that you were not persuaded by him.”

Stephanie’s confusion grew after Captain Joe spoke, listening to the story about how Skiff and Sailor John once were thieves.

* * *

_ It all started with a legend everyone has heard through history books, about a pirate called Captain Calles, who sails the seas in his ship, attacking and sinking merchant ships to steal their treasure. _

_ However, this only resulted in the merchants and the Navy trying to track him down to get the treasure back from him.  _

_ To get away, Calles sailed his ship into a cavern located between Arlesburgh and Harwick. _

_ There, he buried his treasure so no one else except him would know where it was.  _

_ He later drew up a map to come back and find the treasure, but it was apparently blown overboard. _

_ Sailor John thought he was related to Captain Callens, so he decided the treasure was his and would not stop at anything until he got it. _

_ Sailor John used to be in the Navy but was kicked out after he went on about being Captain Callens’s decant. _

_ He teamed up with Thomas, who found his ship before, and persuaded him into helping him by getting Thomas into his desires. _

_ But after the treasure was found by Sir Topham Hatt, Sailor John revealed his true colors and was bent on getting it back, along with the ship. _

_ Skiff did not want to be in the thieving but was forced to be in it, no matter what. _

_ There was a huge chase, and Skiff fought back, eventually getting Sailor John into the police, ending his career of being a thief, and Skiff started anew as a tour guide through the harbor. _

* * *

Stephanie looked surprised after the story, but half of her felt relieved that Skiff was safe.

“I’m surprised that he has not tried to persuade you into doing something with him,” Captain Joe sighed, placing a hand on Stephanie’s shoulder.

Stephanie agreed with Captain Joe about her close encounter with Sailor John, but there was something about Sailor John that seemed a little... different.

As if... there was more to a grumpy ex-marine.

* * *

Meanwhile, with Sailor John, he looked at the bag of food that Stephanie had given to him, seeing that she did give him a whole week’s worth of food, even to stock up too.

He smiled after seeing how  _ gullible  _ that child was but stopped himself a little at the thought.

After thinking to himself, Sailor John went to walk to his apartment, still thinking about his encounter with that strange child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	24. A Trip To Crotoonia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sir Topham Hatt took Stephanie to Crotoonia to have a conversation with a few conductors, but ended up going wrong after he asked his bodyguards to keep an eye on Stephanie while he is busy...

The next day, Sir Topham Hatt received a call in his office from one of the conductors while Stephanie was sitting in his office.

Although she could not hear the man talking to Sir Topham Hatt, she understood it was a meeting.

When the conversation ended, Sir Topham Hatt stood up from the chair and hung up the phone.

Stephanie perked after noticing the call had ended and stood up from her chair, picking up her backpack from the ground and onto her back.

“Are we going somewhere, sir?” Stephanie asked while cocking her head a little.

“Yes, we are.” Sir Topham Hatt nodded. “We are going to Crotoonia to visit a few friends of mine and discuss a few things. Maybe you could have a look around too.”

Stephanie was excited after she heard about visiting Crotoonia from Sir Topham Hatt, wondering what could be in Crotoonia.

Ten Cents took her  _ once _ to Crotoonia, where she watched him pull a barge on the busy docks.

Unfortunately, Crotoonia could be clearly seen from Ten Cent’s deck as he sailed past the docks.

So, maybe this is an opportunity to look around Crotoonia instead of being on Ten Cents’ deck.

Stephanie waited patiently for Sir Topham Hatt as they exited the office and locked the door with his key.

Even though Stephanie  _ was _ eager to go to Crotoonia, she did not want to rush Sir Topham Hatt until he was tired.

Instead of taking Winston, Sir Topham Hatt entered his car as Stephanie sat in the back, gently squished between Jason and Branden.

Stephanie felt relieved that they were joining them but felt a little sheepish at the thought of being stuck between them.

As Sir Topham Hatt drove the landscape down the road, Stephanie glanced through the window over Jason, softly smiling at herself as the locomotives passed.

A bump on the road shook the car, and Stephanie flinched from the sudden and unexpected jump, though she felt Branden’s hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

Stephanie relaxed after Branden put his hand on her shoulder and mildly smiled. 

Yet, she felt nervous about what might happen next after reaching Crotoonia.

Soon, the scenery changed to Stephanie’s confusion, as there were buildings from different eras and people chatting with each other.

Stephanie, confused about the change in scenery, politely asked, “Where are we?”

“Oh, we’re in Drayton.” Sir Topham Hatt responded as Stephanie listened to him. “It’s almost close to the Mainland, but a few miles away from Crotoonia.”

Stephanie nodded her head and glanced at the window again, watching the people with curiosity.

Drayton is now on her list of places to explore, people to meet, and history and culture to learn.

While leaving Drayton, Stephanie’s mind was distracted when she saw the beautiful scenery with all the flowers and animals.

During the springtime, Drayton looked beautiful, and farmers were picking vegetables and other greenery from the bushes, even plowing.

Things looked different from the ones Stephanie remembered, how they used machinery to pick vegetables and plow the fields and even used chemicals to sanitize food from pests.

Stephanie shuddered as she thought of how her country is different from Drayton, feeling self-conscious about eating food again.

As they approach the massive port as they stop near a station, Stephanie’s attention quickly switches from her concerns about her home.

Once they stopped, Sir Topham Hatt stepped out along with Branden and Jason, and Stephanie was also helped out of the car.

Suddenly Stephanie was greeted with sudden loud noises, including whistles and horns, making her cover her ears from the volume.

Hearing the noises around her hurt her ears, even making her a little nervous about where else they might come from as well.

Topham Hatt did not see Stephanie covering her ears with her hands and watched as he approached a female and greeted her with the tip of his hat while also shaking hands with another male conductor.

Stephanie could not hear them because of all the noise and looked confused about what they were saying.

Sir Topham Hatt turned with a hand out as if introducing Stephanie to the two but stopped when he noticed she had her hands over her ears.

Stephanie felt worried that he might be angry at her for covering her ears, so she moved them down quickly to be more appropriate to the two strangers but flinched when a loud diesel horn went through the air.

Stephanie became more skittish as she heard loud noises around her and even at sudden moments too.

The male sees Stephanie’s skittishness with all the noises coming from all around before opening the door to the station after unlocking it, making a mention with his hand to enter.

So, Sir Topham Hatt, Branden, Jason, and the female entered inside the station, and Stephanie followed behind, trying to get away from the noisy sounds.

Stephanie noticed that once everyone inside the station was inside, the place was a little quieter which was a relief for her ears and nerves.

The male closed the door behind him and turned to Stephanie, as Stephanie looked nervous about what he was about to say next.

The male asked, sounding a little confused, “Skittish much?”

“I-I’m sorry,” Stephanie stammered sheepishly, nervously wringing her left hand as she blushed. “I’m not used to the loud noises.”

He gently nodded after Stephanie apologized to him and said, “It is fine. Take some time to get used to it.”

Stephanie nodded her head after the male conductor assured her, still feeling a little sheepish about being so scared about loud noises.

Sir Topham Hatt placed his hands on Stephanie’s shoulders without noticing that she gasped in surprise softly from the sudden feeling of his hands, “Anthony, Stella, this is Stephanie.”

Anthony, the male conductor, knelt to Stephanie’s height to look at her before holding a hand out, greeting, “Hello, Stephanie.”

Stephanie, a little timid, took Mr. Anthony’s hand and stammered, “H-hello, Mr. Anthony and Mrs. Stella.”

Anthony smiled as Stella asked, “What a sweet young lady. Did you raise her?” after Stephanie greeted them with kindness and shyness.

Sir Topham Hatt chuckled. “No, she’s not my daughter. She’s with a foster-father until he comes here.”

“Oh, I see!” Stella remarked. “He must be a wonderful foster-father!”

As Stephanie listened to the three adults talking about herself, her stomach clenched nervously.

Stephanie enjoyed being in Crotoonia’s docks, but she felt uncomfortable with them talking about her foster-father.

As she glanced away, she thought about her foster-father and rubbed her left arm with a hand.

The sight of his grin and his face caused Stephanie to tremble at the memories of it.

“Stephanie?” Stephanie glanced up at Sir Topham Hatt and stopped rubbing her left arm. “I’m going to be busy going with Anthony and Stella. Why don’t you go with Branden and Jason to look around?”

From the back of her mind, Stephanie was worried that she would have to endure the loud noises again.

But rather than expressing her feelings, Stephanie nodded and winked with a gentle smile, saying, “Okay, I’ll come back when you are done.”

Sir Topham Hatt nodded, and Stephanie stood at the door and waited patiently for Branden and Jason, hearing Sir Topham Hatt tell them to be careful with her.

Stephanie chuckled softly after Sir Topham Hatt instructed them to be careful with her before exiting the station and... back into the loud noises.

As she held the door open for Branden and Jason, Stephanie winced from the loud noises, covering one of her ears with a hand.

After Branden and Jason stepped out of the station, Stephanie closed the door before jumping when a loud diesel horn went through the air, causing her to instantly cover her ears.

Jason knelt to Stephanie’s level after covering her ears with his hands and mouthing something to her.

Stephen blinked several times in confusion about what he had just said to her.

Knowing she could not hear what Jason said, he used sign language to ask if the docks were too loud for her.

Stephanie nodded yes as she still had her hands covering her ears, hearing some noises but not too much.

Jason then asks in sign language, ‘Would you prefer to go somewhere that is more peaceful?’

Stephanie nods yes when he asks if she wants to go somewhere peaceful, wanting to get away from all the noises and to relax her nerves.

Jason nodded and stood back up to his height, speaking to Brandon about something and having a conversation with him.

Like last time, Stephanie could not hear what they were saying and only kept her hands on her ears, jumping a little when a loud horn blared through the air.

Once Jason and Brandon finished their conversation, Jason knelt to Stephanie’s height and asked her in sign language, ‘How do you feel about going to Drayton, Stephanie?’

Instantly, Stephanie’s thoughts about visiting Drayton clicked into her mind, always wanting to visit Drayton when she first saw the village while on the adventure to the docks.

‘Yes,’ Stephanie sign language to Jason. ‘I would love to go to Drayton!’

Another loud noise went through the air, and Stephanie instantly covered her ears with her hands, wincing from the sound.

Stephanie kept her hands on her ears as they led her through the docks, headed somewhere else.

They soon came across a small locomotive with a Baldwin 0-4-0 Switcher basis and painted in a black livery with red wheels.

On each side of the boiler is a red nameplate with the name ‘Puffle’ in gold.

From the back of Stephanie’s mind, she cooed at the fact of how cute the little engine is, like the others she encountered before.

Jason and Brandon walked up to the little locomotive after he stopped and asked him something, but Stephanie could not hear what they were saying.

She only stayed silent as she ‘listened’ to the conversation, watching as the little locomotive nodded in response and responded in return.

After a few minutes of talking to each other, the door opened, and a driver’s head poked out from it, looking down at Stephanie curiously.

He has fair skin with hazelnut brown eye color and short brown hair.

He wore a long-sleeved light gray shirt with a pair of black overalls with silver buttons with gray gloves on his hands.

‘Who is he?’ Stephanie thought in confusion as she smiled a little.

The locomotive’s engineer asked Jason and Brandon about something, and they responded to him as Stephanie ‘listened’ to their conversations.

She wanted to move her hands away from her ears to listen to them more clearly, but all the loud noises seemed to hurt her ears.

So she had to keep them on to not hurt her ears anymore or get herself jittery again.

The conversation lasted a few minutes before Jason’s hand was placed on Stephanie’s shoulder as the locomotive puffed away.

‘Okay, not that locomotive then.’ Stephanie thought to herself. ‘…What are they planning?’

Brandon and Jason lead Stephanie away from the docks and to a crowd of people waiting for the express locomotive, confusing her a little.

Stephanie thought they would get a locomotive to get her to the location where they planned to help her calm down from the noises.

So, she decided to follow them until she can see with her own eyes what they have in mind.

To her curiosity, a  _ diesel _ locomotive came into the docks, pulling coaches coupled behind him.

The diesel locomotive’s basis is either a  _ Baldwin Sharknose Locomotive _ or a  _ Baldwin RF-16 _ , as the livery is white with a blue base.

‘Whoa…’ Stephanie remarked with amusement. ‘I thought most diesels do dirty work.’

After the diesel locomotive pulled into the docks, the doors opened, and everyone stepped into the coaches, along with Brandon, Jason, and Stephanie.

Once they were inside the coaches, Stephanie finally removed her hands from her ears, noticing that the coaches muffled the noises out from the other side.

Now her ears can relax from having to hear all the loud noises to get herself jumpy.

The last passenger boarded the coaches, and the doors closed, the guard whistled and waved his flag, and the diesel responded with a honk of his horn.

During the ride, Stephanie wondered why a diesel was pulling passenger coaches instead of trucks?

Rather than asking, Stephanie kept it to herself, deciding to ask later when everything was calm for her.

The diesel soon arrived at a Crotoonia station and slowed down, stopping at the station to allow the passengers to step off.

Brandon and Jason did not get up, so Stephanie stayed with them, patiently waiting for the diesel locomotive to continue.

Once the last of the passengers stepped off, the diesel locomotive heard the guard’s whistle and green flag, honking his horn and continuing on.

Stephanie enjoyed the gentle rocking of the coaches and the small noises coming from all around, no longer being startled all the time and flinching at every loud noise.

The diesel locomotive continued down the line and honked at some other locomotives passing by, some were well-known to Stephanie’s eyes, and others… looked a little strange.

Other than that, Stephanie’s curiosity would not stop at anything she sees that looked interesting for her to look at or greet.

Soon, they reached Drayton, and the diesel locomotive stopped at a station, and this time, Jason and Brandon stood up.

Stephanie did the same and followed them, stepping off the coaches and onto the platform of a new village she wanted to look at.

Before she could follow Jason and Brandon, Stephanie peeked around them to the diesel locomotive and called, “Thanks for the ride!”

The diesel locomotive perked after hearing Stephanie’s thanks and glanced over a little with his eyes, seeing her within the crowd.

He smiled after Stephanie thanked him and responded, “You’re welcome!”

After that, the guard’s whistle blew and waved his flag, letting the diesel locomotive know it was time to go.

He honked his horn and started off, leaving the station as Stephanie followed Jason and Brandon into the village.

Stephanie looked around with amusement as she noticed how  _ ancient _ the place looked, with all the old-fashioned buildings and markets.

There were a few hints of the twenty-first-century elements, but not too much to hide the ancientness.

“What do you think about Drayton?” Brandon asked, glancing down at her.

“Beautiful!” Stephanie remarked. “I’ve never seen any village so realistic about the twentieth century.”

“Except for Scotland,” Jason added. “That place has many ruins of the buildings that were from the seventeenth century and further back.”

“Oh, right.” Stephanie sheepishly blushed as she glanced away from them.

A cow’s moo perked Stephanie’s attention as she looked away from the two, watching a farmer take them into the village.

Many of the villagers wore beautiful nineteenth-century clothes and used equipment from the era, which piqued Stephanie’s curiosity.

Out of the rest, Stephanie’s curiosity grew more and more as she looked around, seeing farmers bringing chickens, goats, sheep, and cows to the market, with crates filled with vegetables and fish being unloaded from carts.

Even bundles of fabric as they sew with needles and thick thread.

They headed out of the village and stepped onto a station as Stephanie looked around curiously, seeing that the sign reads, ‘Blossom Valley.’

‘I wonder why it is called ‘Blossom Valley?’’ Stephanie thought to herself with confusion, cocking her head to the side slightly.

Soon, a steam whistle went through the air that perked Stephanie’s attention, glancing to the rails as a steam locomotive came into view.

This steam locomotive looked different from the others Stephanie had met before, but on the other hand, it looked amazing!

The steam locomotive’s basis was a  _ 4-6-2 VR Class Hr1 _ with side plates on each side of the front.

The steam locomotive is painted in the colors of black with dark red and a lipstick red lining.

On the sides of his cab are nameplates that read “Veli” in gold with a black background.

‘Whoa…’ Stephanie remarked with a smile. ‘He’s massive!’

After he stopped at the station with coaches behind him, the doors opened, and everyone went inside them, along with Stephanie, Jason, and Brandon.

Once everyone was seated and had their belongings put away, Veli whistled his whistle and pulled the coaches, making his way down the line.

Stephanie watched from the window of the scenery, now understanding why it was called ‘Blossom Valley.’

There were beautiful flowers on the hills, and watching as the flower pickers picked them to make bouquets for weddings or special days.

Stephanie smiled warmly after watching the scenery and slowly noticed that they were taking her here to help her calm down from all the noises back at the docks.

Veli stopped at a station, and everyone unboarded his coaches, along with Jason, Brandon, and Stephanie.

“Is this the place?” Stephanie curiously asked.

“Close,” Jason answered. “All we need to do is to walk there.”

Stephanie nodded her head and followed them down the path, avoiding some people riding their bikes and children too.

Soon, they came across a hill, and Brandon huffed, saying as he pointed at the top of the mount, “Okay, all we need to do is climb this hill to get to the top.”

Stephanie nodded her head again and started climbing up the hill, moving her weight forward and being careful with her feet from falling over.

Brandon struggled a little with trying to get up the hill, stopping a few times and leaning forward, placing his hands on the ground.

Jason noticed his friend slowing down and stopped, as Stephanie also stopped and glanced over at the two.

“Go ahead and keep up without us!” Jason called Stephanie as he reached into his pocket and took out a handkerchief. “I’ll stay here with Brandon.”

Stephanie nods her head again and continues climbing up the hill, feeling bad for making them take her here without understanding that Brandon does not have that much strength to keep up with them.

After a few minutes passed, Stephanie finally reached the top of the hill and peered around, amazed at how beautiful the view was.

She could see the village from where she is and can watch the sunsets over the ocean water.

‘That’s the docks where Sir Topham Hatt is!’ Stephanie remarked with a smile. ‘And that’s the village we walked through after stopping at that station!’

Stephanie continued glancing around at her surroundings with a bright smile on her face but stopped when she almost went over the side, seeing that the hill  _ is _ steep on the other side.

‘Almost fell over,’ Stephanie thought to herself. ‘Don’t want to injure any parts of my body or anyone else at this point.’

Stephanie instead stepped back a little and sat down on the grass, her knees all the way to her collarbone, and wrapped her arms around it.

Everything around her is  _ finally _ at peace.

No more having to hear loud diesel horns, whistles, and boat horns blaring everywhere.

And Stephanie has no more jittery nerves, having to be scared all the time.

Stephanie smiled softly to herself at the relief she has and continued watching the scenery, noticing a few faint whistles and diesel horns here and there, but not enough to snap her out of her peace.

Then, Stephanie notices that there were flowers on the other side of the hill, but they were not the usual dandelions she sees at times back at her home with daisies.

They were chrysanthemums!

Each of them was perfectly big and had beautiful bright colors, as most of them were in her favorite color, blue!

Stephanie perked more as she sat up a little from sitting on the top of the hill, deciding to lay down with the flowers instead.

She carefully stood up to her feet and took a careful step forward, pausing a little if she falls over if she relaxes.

Stephanie carefully took another and another, slowly walking down the hill before reaching a comfortable position, moving down onto the grass.

She laid down flat on her back within the flowers, feeling like she was small in a massive world filled with both dangers and wonder.

The chrysanthemums tower over her like towering buildings, waving gently with the breeze as grass acts as a blanket on her back.

But then she paused a little when she noticed that something was poking her back at the spot where the Gem of Sodor had rammed into.

Confused, Stephanie sat back up from the ground and turned her body around, looking at what she was lying on.

She felt around with her hands to look for what it was, feeling that something was poking out from the ground.

Stephanie scratched at the ground with her fingers to look at what it was but noticed that there was something  _ silvery _ poking through the ankle-length grass.

‘What is that?’ Stephanie thought to herself curiously.

Stephanie continued scratching at it again with her fingers, moving it apart from more and soon, gripped it with her fingers and pulled it out.

To her amazement, it was a heart-shaped  _ pendant! _

It was in a perfect heart shape and made of silver that glistens in the sunlight.

However, it had some things that were worn out, like the metal loop for the chain.

The surface of the pendant had chrysanthemum and rose engravings on it.

There are small tanzanite stones on the chrysanthemums, making the appearance pop out a little.

The pendant was thick, as if something big was inside it, and felt a little mid-heavy.

‘Strange,’ Stephanie thought to herself. ‘I wonder who left this behind?’

Stephanie did the best she could by wiping the dirt off from the pendant in her hands but could not find any engravings on the strange object.

So, deciding to save it for later after coming back home, Stephanie reached into the pocket of her blue jeans and took out a tissue, wrapping the pendant in it.

Once the pendant is wrapped in the tissue for safekeeping and to keep her clothes clean from being dirtied.

Then, she placed the pendant into her pocket and laid down onto the grass, scooting around a little to get comfortable.

After some time, Stephanie drifted into a deep sleep, placing her hands back from behind her head and onto her stomach, falling asleep on the flowery hillside.

* * *

_ In the dream, Stephanie was sitting on the ground in a familiar house, surrounded by rails of toy trains and a single wooden carved toy car in front of her. _

_ It looked like Stephanie was a young toddler in this dream because she giggled as she played with the carved toy train in her hand, pushing it back and forth on the ground. _

_ Then, a small toy train whistle whistled that caught Stephanie’s attention and looked over, watching as a moving toy locomotive ‘puffing’ over towards her on the rails. _

_ The toy train has the basis of an LMS Fowler Class 3F and is painted in blue with a light blue and frost lining with hints of black. _

_ The wheels’ sides are painted in peacock, as the cab is painted in dark blue with frost lining. _

_ Stephanie cooed as she watched the toy train ‘puffed’ down the line and around her as Stephanie scooted her body in a circle to stare at the small locomotive. _

_ Then, Stephanie heard soft snoring that caused Stephanie to perk from the sound and glanced over, seeing… her father and mother. _

_ The father had fair skin with short brown hair and wore a long-sleeved black dress shirt with a white button-up undershirt, black pants, and polished black shoes. _

_ He was sitting on a couch and asleep, and sitting next to him was Stephanie’s mother. _

_ Stephanie’s mother has fair skin with beautiful long straight brown hair and wore a long-sleeved light blue shirt, a long ankle-length dark blue skirt, black tights, and black slippers. _

_ On the couch, the father and mother are both dozing, as the mother has her head resting on the father’s shoulder, and the mother has her head resting on the father’s shoulder. _

_ Stephanie softly cooed as she looked up at them before hearing an elderly woman giggle. _

_ She turned around to see who giggled and glanced over, seeing that it was from her grandmother. _

_ Her grandmother has long, straight white hair, wrinkly pale skin, and steel-blue eye color. _

_ She wore a long-sleeved sweater with a white shirt underneath and a pair of black pants with pink fuzzy slippers. _

“Hello, Stephanie.”  _ Stephanie’s grandmother greeted her. _ “Come here and let granny tell you the story about your great-grandmother.”

_ Stephanie giggled and went onto her hands and knees and crawled over to her but paused a little to allow the same steam locomotive to pass, giving off the same whistle to her. _

_ She laughed after watching the steam locomotive and continued crawling over to her grandmother, sitting down in front of her and making grabby mentions with her hands. _

_ Stephanie’s grandmother laughed and reached down towards Stephanie, gently picking her up from the ground and close to her chest, gently rocking back and forth on her rocking chair. _

“Your great-grandmother was a wonderful and brave young lady,” _ Stephanie’s grandmother told Stephanie as she listened to her. _ “She was also a stubborn woman out there to prove that women can run a railway.”

_ Stephanie cooed softly as her grandmother told her about her great-grandmother, allowing her grandma to gently put a pacifier in her mouth to suck on. _

“And Arabella did it in the most wonderful way she could ever show,” _ Stephanie’s grandmother continued. _ “She bought enough steam locomotives there, and…”

_ Stephanie started to fall asleep as her grandmother told her the story about her great-grandmother, feeling her words drift further and further away as she went into sleep, feeling the rocking of her rocking chair. _

* * *

But then something shook her shoulder a little too hard that caused Stephanie to wake up in the real world, jolting awake at the thought of the ‘maid.’

Jolting up from the grass and chrysanthemums, Stephanie glanced around to see who it was, but a voice spoke, “Whoa, calm down! It’s just me.”

A confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after hearing the voice and glanced up at who it was, seeing that it was Henry, Linus’ engineer.

“Oh, sorry…” Stephanie sleepily mumbled, reaching up with a hand to wipe one of her eyes, mostly the slight tear. “How long have I been asleep for?”

“You’ve been asleep here until the afternoon,” Henry answered, using his thumb to move his hat up. “We came here to have a break after our hard work and notice you sleeping in the grass.”

Stephanie sheepishly blushes after Henry explains, glancing away from him and rubbing her arm with a hand.

“Sorry, I came here with Sir Topham Hatt to visit some conductors,” Stephanie explained as she moved her knees up to her collarbone, hugging them gently with her arms. “But the docks were too loud for my ears.”

Henry listened to Stephanie as she explained to him what had happened earlier.

“So, Jason and Brandon brought me here to help with my nerves from all the noises,” Stephanie finished. “But I ended up falling asleep.”

Stephanie felt embarrassed for accidentally falling asleep on the hill but glanced up at Henry when he placed his hand on her shoulder.

“It’s alright, Stephanie,” Henry assured her. “We all make mistakes when falling asleep. You don’t have to apologize for falling asleep on Heaven’s Hill.”

“‘Heaven’s Hill?’” Stephanie repeated in confusion.

“The hill we are on,” Henry answered. “People usually come over here to climb on it and look at the stars.”

This seemed to attract Stephanie’s curiosity about staring up at the stars, so she placed that next in her mind to look at next.

“Anyways,” Henry shook his head. “Where’s Brandon and Jason?”

“Over Heaven’s Hill,” Stephanie answered, pointing towards the hill. “Brandon got tired from walking up halfway up the hill, so I went on without them.”

Henry paused a little after Stephanie explained to him, asking, “Then… why did I see them with Sir Topham Hatt when they were following Anthony and Stella?”

Stephanie sighed and pinched her nose bridge with the two fingers of her right hand, mumbling, “Here we go again…”

A confused expression appeared on Henry’s face after Stephanie mumbled, asking, “What are you meaning?”

“This had happened before,” Stephanie explained to him. “They sometimes forget about me and get distracted with something else. But I don’t blame them. They have a lot in their minds.”

Henry understood what Stephanie was meaning and glanced away from her, thinking to himself for a moment.

“How about I take you back to Knapford where Sir Topham Hatt might be at?” Henry suggested. “You wouldn’t be late trying to catch up to him by running across Crotoonia.”

Henry  _ is _ right about running, however.

Stephanie could not have caught up to Sir Topham Hatt if she had run on foot to reach Knapford and could harm herself or others.

So, Stephanie smiled and nodded her head, asking, “May I have a ride with you, mister?”

Henry nodded his head and helped Stephanie up to her feet, waiting as Stephanie brushed the grass off her back and bottom.

“Oh, I didn’t get to know your name since the last time,” Stephanie spoke, remembering their last encounter. “But my name is Stephanie!”

“Henry,” Henry tipped his hat to Stephanie in a friendly gesture. “My name is Henry. Down the hill is my friend Linus.”

Linus whistled his whistle in response and tipped his hat towards Stephanie as Henry did.

Stephanie waved her hand to Linus as she smiled, and Henry helped Stephanie down the hill carefully without tripping, although he tripped a few times.

Once they reached the bottom of the hill, Stephanie and Henry walked over to Linus as he was away from the tracks to allow others to pass him.

“Linus,” Henry spoke. “We’re going to Knapford to drop Sir Topham Hatt’s granddaughter off and continue with pulling coaches.”

Linus nodded his head, and Stephanie blushed sheepishly, saying after he climbed into Linus’ cab and helped Stephanie inside, “Oh, I’m not Sir Topham Hatt’s granddaughter.”

“You’re not?” Linus asked as he glanced over slightly with his eyes.

“Nope,” Stephanie shook her head. “I’m just staying at his mansion until my foster-father comes here.”

She paused a little and added, “We were accidentally separated during one of the adventures, and I boarded the wrong cruise ship.”

Henry softly winced after Stephanie explained to him about what had happened, as Linus asked, as he puffed down the line, “How long is it going to take?”

“Estimating about a couple of months or more,” Stephanie sighed as she placed a hand on her cheek. “It’s my fault for wandering off like that. I should’ve paid attention more often.”

Henry paused a little from driving and moved his hands away, poking out the window, and said, “Can you take over, Linus?”

Linus nodded and continued puffing down the line as Henry turned his attention around to Stephanie.

“Listen,” Henry placed his hands on Stephanie’s shoulders as she looked up with a soft, sad expression on her face. “It was not your fault for boarding the wrong cruise ship. It was just an accident, and you don’t have to keep beating yourself up for that. You’ll see him soon when he comes here.”

Stephanie paused a little after Henry assured her before nodding her head and said, “Right. It  _ was _ just an accident.”

Then, she hugged him by wrapping her arms around his middle, saying, “Thank you for helping me.”

Henry softly smiled after Stephanie hugged his middle and wrapped his arms around her, responding, “You’re welcome.”

Outside, Linus softly smiled from the conversation he was hearing between Henry and Stephanie, feeling happy that Stephanie accepted Henry’s assurance of the mistake.

He slowed down when he came into Drayton, as Henry took back in control from hugging Stephanie as Stephanie poked her head out of Linus’ cab window.

She enjoyed the wind blowing against her face as Linus continued puffing down the line, heading out of Drayton and back into the side of Sodor.

A few hours passed, and Stephanie relaxed more as Henry kept driving until Stephanie noticed something from the corner of her eye.

It was covered in moss, but Stephanie could see hints of rusted red.

“Hey, Henry?” Stephanie spoke as she glanced over at him. “Can we stop here? I saw something from the corner of my eye.”

Linus and Henry glanced at each other with confusion after Stephanie asked Henry to stop in the middle of the forest.

On the other hand, Linus  _ was _ low on water, and there was a water tank up close.

So, Linus stopped next to the water tank, allowing Henry and Stephanie to get out of his cab.

While Linus was taking water into his tender, Stephanie walked away from them to search for the red object she saw before.

“Don’t wander too far, Stephanie!” Henry called her.

“I won’t!” Stephanie called back to him before turning back around to search.

Stephanie continued searching through the side of the forest, thinking to herself about what was that red object she saw before.

However, Stephanie thinks it could have been something else she discovered and could be only scrap.

A shudder went down Stephanie’s spine at the thought of it as she entered the forest to continue searching.

Unfortunately, Stephanie wandered a little  _ too _ far away from Linus and Henry, getting deeper and deeper into the forest.

Stephanie did not notice this as she looked around as she stopped for a moment, still not finding the rusty-red object she saw earlier.

‘Where could it be?’ Stephanie thought to herself. ‘I swore I saw it before. …Unless it could have been one of my imaginations.’

Stephanie rubbed the side of her temple with two of her fingers in thought, still confused about where it would be.

Then, she turned around to search further in the forest, but then her eyes went over something enormous and  _ rusted red _ .

Stephanie instantly glanced back over at where she saw the object with her eyes, seeing that it was, in fact, large!

That is the same object Stephanie saw before!

Instantly, Stephanie ran towards the object to find it, ignoring Henry’s warnings of wandering away from him.

Stephanie approached the large object and slowed down, looking up at it thoughtfully and noticed that it was covered in moss.

Reaching up with a hand, Stephanie gripped some moss in her hand and pulled it off from the object, seeing part of a number underneath the green moss.

More curiosity grew in Stephanie’s mind as she noticed a part of a number on the metal surface and reached up again, wiping more of the moss away from the object.

Parts of the moss were tough to get off, but Stephanie managed to get it off without damaging the peeling and rusting red paint job, seeing the number was a four.

A confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after discovering the large number four before jumping when she heard her name from Henry on the other side of the forest.

“STEPHANIE!” Henry called. “Where are you?”

Stephanie turned around to where she heard Henry’s voice and called back, cupping her hands over her mouth, “I’m over here, Henry! I found something!”

A long pause came from Henry after Stephanie called back to Henry, as Linus called, “What did you find?”

Stephanie glanced up at what she had discovered and glanced back, answering, “I think I found a locomotive!”

“You did?!” Henry called. “What is his name?”

Stephanie turned around to the locomotive and scraped away the moss covering the side of it, squinting a little as she made out the name, ‘Jasper.’

“Their name is ‘Jasper!’” Stephanie called, glancing out to the forest.

“‘Jasper?!’” Linus called, sounding surprised. “You found Jasper?!”

The same confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after Linus exclaimed before Henry called, “Stay right there, Stephanie! We’ll come over there to see who you found.”

“Okay!” Stephanie called before glancing down at the tracks. “Try traveling along the line until you see a pair of tracks that go into the forest!”

A whistle came from Linus as a way of agreeing with Stephanie, and Stephanie decided to take the time to clean the locomotive off to see more.

Pushing her sleeves to her elbows, Stephanie began cleaning the locomotive off with her hands and used her nails to get some tough moss off.

It hurt her fingers a little, but Stephanie did not mind it and continued with what she was doing, getting all the moss off and clearing the tracks for the locomotive to pull through without getting stuck.

Stephanie finally sees who the locomotive was after removing the last of the moss from its outside.

The locomotive’s basis was a  _ New York Central No. 5344 J-1e 4-6-4 Commodore Vanderbilt _ and looked to be painted in red with a gold lining, as it has the number four painted on the tender as it has the name ‘Jasper’ on each side of the boiler.

‘So this is ‘Jasper?’’ Stephanie thought to herself as she walked around the iron giant. ‘What had happened to him?’

She paused a little in her thoughts and thought, ‘Her? Them?’

Stephanie shrugged at the reader with her shoulders, deciding to wait and see for herself at what gender  _ they _ have.

Deciding to check the cab, Stephanie climbed into the locomotive’s cab and grimaced when she accidentally walked into an enormous spider’s web.

Half startled, Stephanie groaned as she shook her head to get the web off her face, mostly to get the spider off her before it could bite her from being surprised.

Stephanie shook herself one more time after the spider web had been cleaned off her face and body to make sure it was gone before looking inside the locomotive.

It was a much bigger cab than the others Stephanie had been in before and could fit either six or seven people without being crowded.

There were more controls than the others, too, looking a little complicated for Stephanie to understand and which is which to operate the locomotive.

Other than that, Stephanie decided to check around for anything out of the ordinary or damaged.

Stephanie pushed her glasses into place and started looking around, fiddling with a few controls here and there to see if they can move even after so many years have passed.

They were a little rusted, but it was not enough to make the levers break from the strength of an average human’s hand.

Stephanie then started cleaning the cab, taking a leafed tree branch up from the ground, and used it to wipe whatever was inside out to leave some room for the workers to mend the locomotive.

Then, as Stephanie was opening the firebox to clean it out the best she could, something groaned, which caused Stephanie to flinch.

Did something break?

But then her mind went back to the groaning noise, remembering that sound almost like _ a human. _

So Stephanie stepped out from the cab and walked up to the front, seeing that the locomotive has a face!

The face was slowly blinking his eyes and yawning, coughing some soot out of its mouth.

Being polite, Stephanie repositioned herself and said, “Good afternoon.”

His eyes popped wide after hearing Stephanie’s voice and glanced down, seeing her standing in front of him with her arms behind her back.

“What…?” he paused as he yawned. “What are you doing here?”

“I wandered in the forest after noticing your rusted paintwork while on Linus down the line,” Stephanie explained to him. “I came here and started cleaning you off to let Linus take you out of the forest.”

“And in the scrapyard?” he asked, sounding worried.

“No,” Stephanie shook her head. “To the Steamworks to help you get repaired!”

He sighed in relief after Stephanie answered his question before asking, “How long was I asleep?”

“Er,” Stephanie spoke, sounding confused. “I only came here to notice you. If you are wondering, the year is twenty-twenty.”

“‘Twenty-twenty?’” He repeated as he blinked. “I’ve been asleep for nearly a hundred years?!”

A confused expression appeared on Stephanie’s face after he exclaimed, asking, “What happened a hundred years ago?”

He paused for a moment after Stephanie asked, before answering, “Back in the twentieth century, me and my older brother, Montana, used to be streamliners for an old railway called ‘Molten Bay Train Line.’”

Then, a soft, sad expression appeared on his face as he continued telling his story to Stephanie.

“The line started to close since there was not enough money and was about to only sell one of us,” he closed his eyes. “And I was not picked.”

Stephanie’s heart sank after hearing that  _ Montana _ was the one who was picked instead of him.

“After Montana was picked from the group and sent to the railway to work,” he continued. “I was put to the siding in this forest and was forgotten for a long time, with no one else wanting me or finding me.”

After he finished telling his story, Stephanie felt sorry for the poor locomotive that had to be driven to the siding and do nothing but rust.

“Jasper,” Stephanie spoke, reaching a hand up and gently placing it to the side of his cheek. “You’ll have a second chance at working the best you can. Linus will come here any moment and take you to see Victor to be repaired and repainted.”

Jasper paused after Stephanie assured him and glanced away from her for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Then, a familiar whistle blew that caused Stephanie to perk and glance over, exclaiming, “That must be Linus!”

Until another whistle blows, confusing Stephanie as she notices that the second one  _ does not sound familiar to her. _

But Jasper instead perked after hearing the whistle blow, exclaiming, “I remember that whistle! It’s…!”

Slowly, Linus appeared in the forest with Henry, but tailing behind him was another streamliner.

And Stephanie could not believe her eyes at what she was staring at.

“Montana!” Jasper exclaimed with happiness, practically bouncing up and down slightly in joy.

Montana looked to be a hybrid cross between the  _ NYC Mercury _ and a  _ Union Pacific Forty-Niner _ .

He is painted navy blue with turquoise wheels, a bright blue cowcatcher and running board, bright yellow railings and tender lining, an orange funnel, and orange front cab windows.

On the side of his tender, he has the number five painted along with the words “Fantasyland and Fairytale Railway Traction Company Limited.”

‘So  _ he _ is Montana?’ Stephanie thought to herself with gawkiness. ‘He’s… massive!’

Montana moved closer to Jasper as Stephanie snapped out of her gawk, moving to the side to allow the two locomotives to reunite with each other.

“How are you doing, brother?” Jasper asked. “You look so much different!”

“I know!” Montana nodded. “I work at the  _ Fantasyland and Fairytale Railway Traction Company Limited! _ If we can get you repaired, Mrs. C. Ella can hire you to pull the goods train with me!”

“I would love that!” Jasper nodded. “Just like good old times, hmm?”

Montana nodded in agreement and moved back, saying, “Linus, can you get in the back of Jasper to push him? I’ll get someone else to help you.”

Linus nodded as Stephanie moved the grass to the side, seeing the points that were not switched in a long time.

Picking up a sturdy stick, Stephanie pushed against the points and managed to put them into place, saying, “Go ahead, Linus!”

Linus puffed around Jasper and went onto a push-type turntable as Montana went off to get another locomotive to help Linus.

Stephanie used her strength to push the turntable for Linus to turn around, facing the back of Jasper’s tender.

Linus puffed up to him, and Stephanie coupled him with Jasper’s tender, waiting for anyone to come to help him push Jasper.

Then he felt something bump against his tender and felt confused as Stephanie walked over to see who it was.

It was Henry, as his driver coupled him to Linus’ tender.

“Hi, Henry!” Stephanie smiled. “I, uh, might have a long story to explain since Sir Topham Hatt is fretting, don’t I?”

Henry nodded after Stephanie asked, and after they were coupled, Stephanie checked the rails if they were supportable and gave the thumbs up with a hand, letting them know they were ready.

After letting them know, Stephanie climbed back into Linus’ cab and started their push, successfully pushing Jasper away from the spot he was.

Jasper was excited to get his second chance at working at a railway again, keeping an eye out for anyone who might accidentally cross tracks with them.

After checking for anyone else coming after exiting from the forest, they turned down the line and started heading to the Steamworks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sir Topham Hatt was in his office, slightly stressed as he looked at the maps, as Brandon and Jason were sitting at the back, looking very sheepish.

After Sir Topham Hatt had his meeting with Mr. Anthony and Mrs. Stella, he noticed Brandon and Jason had returned and greeted them.

But he paused when he noticed Stephanie was not with them.

Instantly, Sir Topham Hatt asked them where Stephanie was, and all he received from them was, “We accidentally left her back at Heaven’s Hill.”

Sir Topham Hatt gave them an earful for accidentally leaving Stephanie behind as they listened to him.

He even told them that if Stephanie does not come back before lunch safely, he will cut their paychecks in half.

So, now Sir Topham Hatt is looking through the maps to see where Heaven’s Hill is, thinking that it might be somewhere in Drayton.

His phone rang that caused him to groan, thinking that it was an accident… again.

Picking his phone up, Sir Topham Hatt answered the call with a, “Hello?”

“ _ Hi, Sir Topham Hatt. _ ” Sir Topham Hatt perked after hearing Stephanie’s voice speaking through the phone, sounding sheepish.

“Where are you, Stephanie?” Sir Topham Hatt asked.

“ _ I’m at the Steamworks, Sir, _ ” Stephanie answered. “ _ I, uh, found a locomotive. _ ”

Sir Topham Hatt’s expression changed to confusion after hearing the word ‘locomotive,’ thinking of how on earth did she find another locomotive?

She paused for a moment before saying, “ _ Actually, I have a long story to explain. Can you come over here with Mrs. C. Ella? _ ”

“Of course,” Sir Topham Hatt nodded. “Wait there, okay?”

“ _ Sure, but I don’t want to walk away from here because I am worried about Jasper. _ ” Stephanie nodded as Sir Topham Hatt perked after hearing the name ‘Jasper.’

Deciding to wait and see for himself and Mrs. C. Ella, Sir Topham Hatt hung up the phone and stood up from his chair.

“Brandon and Jason,” Sir Topham Hatt spoke as he turned to them as they repositioned themselves from the position they were in. “Since Stephanie is safe and, oddly at the Steamworks, I’ll not cut your paycheck, but give you a fair warning:”

Brandon and Jason nervously glanced at each other after Sir Topham Hatt scolded them.

“Don’t leave Stephanie behind or forget about her,” Sir Topham Hatt warned.

They nodded their heads and followed Sir Topham Hatt to Crotoonia to pick up Mrs. C. Ella.

* * *

Meanwhile, Stephanie was patiently waiting as she was sitting on a crate, watching the cleanup on Jasper.

Stephanie was also having a lively conversation with one worker sitting next to her, who was tasked by Victor to watch her if she wanders off.

Jasper was getting repaired as he was being checked for anything either out of place or rusted.

A familiar blue car appeared, and Stephanie perked before looking nervous as she rubbed her left arm with her thumb.

“Ohh, boy.” Stephanie softly groaned as Sir Topham Hatt stepped out, along with Brandon and Jason.

Then, a beautiful woman stepped out of Sir Topham Hatt’s car, noticing Stephanie and Jasper.

She has fair skin with long, straight brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail with a single rose attached to the side.

She also had light blue eye color and wore a long sky blue dress with a light cream yellow under fabric, long sky blue gloves with gold bracelets.

Mrs. C. Ella also wore a pair of diamond earrings with a necklace and looked almost like Cinderella from the book  _ Cinderella. _

“Hello, ma’am.” Stephanie greeted, blushing a little shyly.

Stephanie flinched when Sir Topham Hatt hugged her but relaxed, noticing that it was just him.

“I’m so glad that you are alright,” Sir Topham Hatt sighed as he released the hug from around Stephanie. “What on earth happened to you?”

“Ah, that’s the story I was going to explain,” Stephanie spoke. “It wasn’t Brandon or Jason’s fault. I walked ahead of them with Jason’s permission after Brandon stopped climbing Heaven’s Hill and fell asleep in the chrysanthemums.”

Sir Topham Hatt and Mrs. C. Ella listened to Stephanie’s story as Brandon and Jason listened as well.

“Linus and Henry found me and decided to take me to you since Brandon and Jason accidentally forgot about me,” Stephanie explained. “And during the adventure,” she paused as she pointed up to Jasper as he nervously smiled. “I saw Jasper’s rusted red paintwork and went to find him in this state from inside one of the forests near Crotoonia.”

“Did you say his name is ‘Jasper?’” Mrs. C. Ella asked.

Stephanie looked confused and nodded her head as Jasper said, “Yes, that’s my name.”

“This is wonderful!” Mrs. C. Ella remarked. “Montana has been talking about you for a long time and missed you. I decided to find you to help him from being lonely but didn’t have much luck since the owner who had Montana and Jasper passed away a long time ago.”

She then mentioned a hand to Stephanie, saying, “But we are happy that you have found him after so long!”

Stephanie smiled shyly after Mrs. C. Ella remarked about Stephanie finding Jasper, moving her hands behind her back as she blushes.

“Th-Thank you, Mrs. C. Ella.” Stephanie thanked, still blushing slightly.

After Stephanie was reunited with Sir Topham Hatt, Jasper was out in the forest for over a hundred years before he was discovered by a curious Stephanie.

Stephanie regularly visits Jasper to see how progress is with his rebuild, sometimes even with Sir Topham Hatt and Mrs. C. Ella.

Weeks passed, and Stephanie arrived to see Jasper, along with Sir Topham Hatt, Mrs. C. Ella, and Montana.

As they were waiting in front of the Steamworks, they heard the sounds of chuffing.

Slowly coming out of the Steamworks was Jasper himself!

Jasper’s basis remains the same, but the color scheme changed from being a red locomotive to a whole new being.

His main body is painted in a Persian orange with the lining in a flame color with his wheels painted in a smokey quartz.

Jasper’s nameplates were cleaned and polished, revealing his name on each side of his boiler and on his tender, has the number four with the logo of the Fairytale Railroad painted underneath his number, all in white with dark sienna lining around the words.

“Wow, Jasper!” Stephanie remarked with happiness. “You look wonderful!”

“Thanks!” Jasper thanked as he beamed. “And thanks to you, I’ll finally be able to work along with my brother!”

“And on my railway, too,” Mrs. C. Ella chuckled. “You can help Montana with taking the goods train to the Mainland to deliver them.”

“Will do!” Jasper smiled, whistling his whistle.

Stephanie watched as Jasper puffed down the line to catch up with his brother, Montana, as he went to the turntable to be turned around, following his little brother.

While everyone was cheering after their hard work on Jasper, Stephanie thought about her little sister from the back of her mind, wondering how she is doing… and hopes that she is safe and sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this story!


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